


One Piece: Truly Precious

by Trace_Carter



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-04-19 14:54:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 44,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14239719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trace_Carter/pseuds/Trace_Carter
Summary: Luffy attained his dream, but it was at the cost of his friends. Now he has a chance to go back and make sure they all survive. The age of dreams isn't over yet.





	1. Prologue: The One Piece

He had done it. After years of searching, Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, had finally reached Raftel. The journey had been tough. The marines had come down full force off the coast of Raftel. Led by Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, the Marines brought their full might down in an attempt to stop the Straw Hats from reaching their treasure.

Luffy's crew stepped up to defend their captain as he tried to reach the One Piece, but the marines were relentless. Nico Robin was the first to fall. She defeated several marines with her Devil Fruit powers, but a barrage of seastone bullets put an end to her.

Next was Ussop. He decimated many of the opposition with his pop-green rounds launched from his Kuro-Kabuto. But he was taken down when Admiral Borsalino used his powers to blow a hole in his torso.

Chopper and Brook were next. They fought valiantly, using their Monster Point and Swordsmanship, respectively, but even though they tore though the ranks of the marines, they were no match for Borsalino and the admiral took them down with his  _Yasakani no Magatama_ attack.

Sanji went down next. He was able to use his skill with Haki and  _Diable Jambe_ to take down Borsalino, but he met his end when Sakazuki burnt his legs off with his magma, allowing the soldiers to gun down the chef.

Franky and Nami pushed Zoro and Luffy into a lifeboat and sent them to the island while they tried to hold off the Marines. Nami used her mastery over the science of weather to whip up a typhoon that sunk many of the battleships while Franky used all of his weapons and the Sunny's Gaon Cannon to sink the others. They met their ends when Sakazuki, having survived the attack, used his magma powers to incinerate the Thousand Sunny and those on it.

The final stand came in the caverns of Raftel when Zoro and Luffy reached a large metal door with Gold Rodger's jolly roger and the words 'One Piece' carved into it. They could feel the heat from Sakazuki's approach, so Zoro opened the doors and shoved Luffy through before drawing his swords and taking a stance as Sakazuki walked up in his magma form. Using his Haki, Zoro rushed at the Fleet Admiral, dealing a fatal blow, but was unable to dodge a final attack that burned his head from his shoulders.

And on that day, the Straw Hat Crew was defeated and disbanded.

xXsceneXx

"So this is it," said Luffy as he looked around the room, "this is the treasure of the Pirate King."

In the room were mountains of gold, silver, platinum, precious gems, priceless artifacts, and breathtaking crystals. In the center of the room was a crystal star that stood on a pedestal and gave off an aura of magnificence. This was a treasure fit for a king with enough money to buy the world, yet it all felt hollow.

Looking at the piles of treasure, Luffy was reminded of Nami. Looking at a set of ornate swords set with gems, he thought of Zoro. Looking at a model ship with a fish theme, the thought of Sanji and Franky. Looking at a golden mask, he thought of Sogeking…and Ussop, strangely enough. Looking at a set of medicinal grinders made of gold, he thought of Chopper. Looking at a violin set with gems he thought of Brook. Looking at a large stone Poneglyph standing on the far side of the room he was reminded of Robin.

"This is what I dreamed about," said Luffy, "but I would give it all up if I could have my Nakama back."

" ** _Is that what you truly wish?_** " asked a voice that echoed through the room.

"Who's there?" asked Luffy as he looked around.

" ** _Step forward child,_** " said the voice.

Luffy noticed the crystal star was glowing and he walked up to it, "Are you the one talking? Who are you?"

" ** _To answer your questions child,_** " said the crystal star, " ** _I am the one talking. I am the One Piece. The treasure that makes dreams come true._** "

"I thought all of this was the One Piece?" said Luffy as he looked at all the treasure piled around the room.

" ** _All of this is just treasure,_** " said the Crystal, " ** _the One Piece is of far greater value than anything else in the world. The One Piece can make any dream, any wish come true. The One Piece can grant a person a single wish. Any wish. What is it that you want?_** "

"What I want?" said Luffy, "What I want is my Nakama. Without them, all this is nothing."

" ** _Indeed you have a kind heart and a pure soul,_** " said the crystal star, " ** _therefore, I will grant you your wish. You will be sent to the beginning of your adventure with all of your memories. However, you will need to train if you want to regain all of your previous skills. You will also be able to grant your crewmates their memories and skills. I will grant you one more gift as well. You will be able to awaken the memories of one other person and when you meet her, you will have your eyes opened as well. Good luck, Pirate King Luffy._** "

The crystal glowed and bathed the room in a blinding light. When the light faded, Luffy was gone along with the treasure.

xXsceneXx

When Luffy opened his eyes, he found himself in a barrel.

' _What am I in here for again?_ ' he wondered, ' _Oh yeah! This is when I met Coby! Oh, I can't wait! Let's go!_ '

 


	2. Romance Dawn

On a pirate ship sailing in the East Blue, a VERY large woman with a iron mace was walking across the deck. This was the feared pirate, Iron Mace Alvida.

"Alright you sea swabs," said Alvida, "who's the finest woman on the sea."

"You are Captain Alvida!" said the crew.

"Set sail!" said Alvida, "there's treasure to steal!"

"Aye Captain!"

Meanwhile on another part of the ship, a pink haired boy with glasses named Coby was leaning on the rail. Unlike the other members of the crew, Coby wasn't a pirate. He had gotten on the wrong boat one day and got swept up into the pirate crew with no chance of escape. He was forced into becoming the cabin boy for the crew.

"Hey Coby," said a pirate as he and his friend walked up, "what're ya up to?"

"N-nothing," said Coby.

"Hey," said the second pirate, "what's that barrel over there?"

"Maybe it's full of grog?" said the first one, "Let's fish it out."

"B-but Captain Alvida will have your head," said Coby.

"Not if you don't tell her," said the first pirate threateningly, "you wouldn't do that, would you?"

"No, of course not," said Coby nervously.

"Good then," said the first pirate, "let's fish it out."

The two pirates fished the barrel out of the water and took it bellow deck, dragging the unwilling Coby with them. Just as they were about to smash the lid open, a figure wearing a red shirt, blue shorts, and a straw hat shot out of the barrel, knocking the two pirates unconscious.

"Wow," said the figure, "that was a great nap."

"Who are you?" asked Coby.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy," said the teen in the straw hat, "who are you?"

"I'm Coby," said Coby.

"Nice to meet you," said Luffy.

"How did you end up in a barrel?" asked Coby.

"I fell asleep," said Luffy with a smile, causing Coby to sweatdrop, "so where are we?"

"You're on my ship, stowaway," said Alvida as she lumbered into the room with several

"Who's the fat hag?" asked Luffy, causing the crew to gasp.

"What did you call me?" growled Alvida, "Men! Who's the fairest lass on the sea?"

"You are, Captain Alvida!" said the pirates.

"Are all of you people blind or something?" asked Luffy, "Look at her. She's the size of a house."

"You little brat!" growled Alvida.

"Better to be a little brat than a large whale like you," said Luffy.

"Why you!" growled Alvida as she raised her club and brought it down on Luffy's head, not noticing his smirk.

When the club was inches away from his hat, Luffy activated his Aramament Haki, creating an invisible shield over his body that both deflected and destroyed the spiked mace.

"You're not so tough," said Luffy, "what do you think Coby?"

"Wh-what?" stammered Coby from being put on the spot.

"You got to stand up to these people," said Luffy, "otherwise they'll never let you go."

"Stand up to them?" mused Coby as Alvida got to her feet.

"Oi, Coby," growled Alvida, "you wouldn't be thinking of mutiny? After I was kind enough to let you join our crew?"

"W-well…I…" stammered Coby, causing Luffy to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Coby," said Alvida, "who's the most beautiful woman on the sea?"

"W-w-well," stammered Coby.

"Well?" pressed Alvida.

Coby then steeled his resolve and shouted, "DEFINITELY NOT YOU YOU FAT OLD HAG!"

"Atta boy Coby," said Luffy.

"You two," growled Alvida, "boys, rip them apart!"

The pirate crew roared and charged at them with their swords and guns, but Luffy just smirked and narrowed his eyes, releasing a wave of Conqueror's Haki that struck the crew and caused them and Alvida to pass out.

"C'mon Coby," said Luffy, "let's get out of here."

Coby could only nod blankly and follow Luffy to a lifeboat that the two of them used to sail away, leaving the ship with its unconscious captain and crew.

xXsceneXx

"What are you?" asked Coby.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy," said Luffy, "I ate a Devil Fruit and became a rubberman."

"But how did you beat all of them without even moving?" asked Coby.

"That's," said Luffy, causing Coby to lean in eagerly, "…a secret!"

Coby facefaulted at that answer, causing Luffy to laugh, "Shishishi, you're really funny. So Coby, why were you on that ship?"

"Ahaha," laughed Coby emberresdly, "I meant to get on a fishing boat, but accidentally got on a pirate ship. I became their slave so they wouldn't kill me."

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "I know a guy like that. He did the exact same thing when we were supposed to meet up with the rest of our crew."

"Your crew?" asked Coby.

"Yeah," said Luffy, "he's my first mate."

"By crew, do you mean pirates?" asked Coby nervously.

"Yeah," said Luffy, "but we're not like those guys back there. We simply follow our dreams wherever they take us."

"What's your dream?" asked Coby as he became a bit less scared.

"To gather my crew and be the Pirate King," said Luffy.

"But why?" asked Coby, "Why do you want to be king of the pirates? They are criminals!"

"Because I made a promise," said Luffy as he took his hat off, "to the man who saved my life. I would become a strong captain and return this hat to him. But enough about me, what are your dreams?"

"My dream?" said Coby nervously.

"No need to worry," said Luffy, "I'm sure it's a great dream. So what is it?"

"Well," said Coby, "I want to join the Marines so I can make the seas a safer place and put away people like Alvida."

"That sounds like a worthy goal," said Luffy.

"What do you mean?" asked Coby in a confused voice, "If I become a Marine, I'd be your enemy!"

"Do you  _want_  to be my enemy?" asked Luffy.

"No, but…" began Coby.

"Then we have no problems," said Luffy as he cut him off.

"…So," said Coby, trying to change the subject, "the crewmate you told me about. Who is he?"

"Roronoa Zoro," said Luffy.

"Wait," said Coby, "you mean Roronoa Zoro the Bounty Hunter?"

"That's the one," said Luffy.

"But he hunts Pirates!" said Coby, "How is he on your crew?"

"I asked and he said yes," said Luffy simply, "I'm hungry. Do we have any fishing gear?"

Coby could only watch with his mouth hanging open as the pirate in the straw hat looked through the little boat for fishing supplies.

xXsceneXx

After a day or two of sailing, the small boat docked in a small port town. The Pirate and the former cabin boy got off of their small craft and looked around.

"Alright," said Luffy, "now to find Zoro!"

That declaration caused the townspeople to shrink away in fear.

"Luffy," said Coby, "you're scaring them. Excuse me, do you know if there's a place I could enlist in the Marines close by?"

That questioned emptied the streets faster than they could blink.

"That's weird," said Luffy with a grin before he walked off toward the large Marine base located deeper in the town.

"Where are you going!?" exclaimed Coby.

"I'm going to find Zoro," said Luffy simply.

"But that's a Marine base!" said Coby.

"So?" asked Luffy.

"Why would Zoro be there?" Coby asked.

"Dunno," lied Luffy, "I'm just following my gut."

The two of them continued to walk until they arrived at the gates to the base. Tied to a post in the center of the courtyard was a man with a white shirt, dark green pants and black boots. Around his waist was a green sash and a dark green bandanna was tied around his head.

"Oi Zoro!" called out Luffy, causing the man to look up.

"Ah? Luffy?" said the man tiredly, "I'm not quite sure how I ended up here again."

"It's a long story," said Luffy, "so, ready to join my crew as first mate again?"

"I don't recall ever leaving," said Zoro, "same deal as last time. Get me my swords and we'll deal with the fop and his father."

"Alright," said Luffy as he jumped over the fence leaving Coby behind.

"Wait," said Coby, "so you really are a part of his crew?"

"Of course," said Zoro with a smirk, "someone has to keep the idiot out of trouble."

xXsceneXx

Luffy was currently in a bind. He thought it would be an easy job, grab Zoro's three katanas and rush back to his first mate, and then he realized that he had forgotten which room the swords were being kept in. This led him to start checking every room he came across for the swords, eventually leading to him having to run from a platoon of Marines that were in the rooms he was checking.

' _DAMNIT!_ ' groaned Luffy in his head as he ran from the pursuing Marines, ' _Where are those swords? I'll check in here._ '

Luffy opened the door to the room and to his relief, Zoro's three katanas were there leaning against the wall.

"Alright!" said Luffy, "Now to get back to Zoro!"

Luffy grabbed the swords and turned toward the wall with his fist reared back. Calling upon his Armament Haki, he coated his fist, transforming it to a shiny black color. Punching forward, he blew a hole in the wall and jumped through, landing in the courtyard just as a blond man was terrorizing a young girl for brining Zoro some riceballs.

"Hey Zoro!" said Luffy, "I got them!"

"Who are you?" demanded the blond man, "I should call my father and have you arrested for destruction of Marine property."

Luffy simply ignored him and walked up to Zoro.

"Hey!" yelled the man, "What do you think you're doing? If you free that criminal before his time is up, then he will be put to death!"

"Oh shut up," said Zoro, "you were going to kill me anyways."

"Well yes…I mean, be quiet you criminal!" yelled the man.

Suddenly a shadow was cast over them causing them to turn and see a large muscular Marine captain with a metal jaw brace and an axe replacing one of his hands. This was the captain of the base on the island, Captain Axe-Hand Morgan.

"Helmeppo," Morgan growled to the blond man, "what's going on here?"

"Father!" said Helmeppo, "Arrest these men! They disrespected me and are going to free the prisoner Zoro."

Morgan didn't respond and instead backhanded his son across the jaw with his hand, sending the blond fop sprawling across the ground.

"You dare to give me orders!" Morgan growled, shocking Coby as he watched all of this.

"Captain Morgan!" said a Marine as the group chasing Luffy ran up, "The one in the straw hat broke into the base and stole Roronoa's swords!"

"So one child managed to elude all of you trained Marines?" asked Morgan.

"Well," began the Marine.

Morgan didn't let him finish and instead slashed him across the chest with his axe-hand.

"Incompetent weakling," growled Morgan, "if a mere child can escape you, you do not deserve to live."

"HEY!" yelled Luffy as he stood with a newly freed Zoro, "You can't just kill your subordinates!"

"Silence, child," said Morgan, "I am the great Axe-Hand Morgan! Know your place beneath the heel of my boot!"

"You talk too much," said Zoro as he put the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth and got into a Santoryu stance.

"Coby," said Luffy, "you wanted to put away the evil and the corrupt, right? Well, let us help you do so with this man."

Morgan roared and swung his axe-hand down at Luffy, but Zoro stepped forward and blocked the strike with his three swords. Luffy then sunk his fist into Morgan's stomach causing the Marine Captain to hunch over in pain. Luffy then punched the axe with a Haki empowered fist, shattering the blade and knocked out the captain with a burst of Conqueror's Haki.

"You can go ahead and arrest this bastard," said Zoro to the Marines that were watching, "afte my captain and I get some food, we'll be leaving without any incident. So there's no need to arrest us for this."

Luffy and Zoro turned and began to leave. Coby was just about to follow them when he was stopped by a call from one of the Marines.

"You there," said the Officer, "are you with them?"

"Oh him?" said Luffy before Coby could respond, "He wants to join the Marines. Let me explain how we met. It all began on a pirate ship belonging to this huge old hag named Alvida…"

' _What are you doing Luffy?!_ ' thought Coby angrily, ' _If they hear that, they'll never let me join!_ '

Before Luffy could say any more, Coby gave him a hard kick to the shin, causing him to glare at the smaller boy.

"Attack a pirate will you?" he said as he began to hit Coby.

"Alright stop right there!" said the Marine, "As we can see he's obviously not with you, the kid will stay with us, but you will leave the island by sunset, or we arrest you."

Luffy nodded and he and Zoro walked off, leaving a slightly bruised Coby who was starting to put the pieces together.

' _Luffy did that on purpose,_ ' thought Coby, ' _it was all to distance himself from me so I could join the Marines._ '

"So you want to join our ranks?" asked the Marine in charge.

"Yes sir!" said Coby.

"Alright then," said the Marine, "you will be admitted on a trial period as chore boy. Should you do good work, we'll see about getting you an official rank."

"Thank you sir," said Coby.

xXsceneXx

"So captain," said Zoro as he and Luffy sailed away from the town, "care to explain all of this?"

The two of them had been given a feast by the townsfolk and a formal sendoff by the Marines stationed at the base in gratitude for freeing them from the tyrannical grip of former captain Morgan. Now the two of them were on open seas looking for their next adventure.

"We've been given a second chance to do things right," said Luffy.

"Tell me," said Zoro, "did you find it? Did you find the One Piece?"

"I found all that and more," said Luffy, "and we'll find it again."

"As expected of my captain," said Zoro with a smirk, "so where to?"

"To find our Navigator of course!" said Luffy!

 

 


	3. The Circus is in Town

Luffy and his First Mate were sailing across the ocean in their small dinghy. Luffy had just finished off a bunch of food that the people of Shells Town had given them as a thank you for freeing them, and now they were relaxing.

"So," said Zoro, "we've come back in time to the beginning of our little adventure?"

"That's right," said Luffy with a smile.

"Heh," laughed Zoro, "It's too bad that I have to regain my old conditioning and my old swords. At least I have two eyes now."

"Don't worry," said Luffy, "this time we'll do things right and achieve our dreams."

"How will we do that?" asked Zoro, "we were vastly outnumbered last time."

"Then this time we'll gather more friends!" said Luffy, "The Marines won't be able to stop us this time."

"So you'll recruit more crewmembers this time?" asked Zoro, "I always did find it weird that we were the public enemy number one in the eyes of the world government while only having a crew of nine."

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "we'll be stronger this time. We have all our memories from last time."

Zoro nodded, "And that means I still know how to use Haki. I can beat you in our next fight without my swords."

The two of them shared a laugh at that as they sat back in the boat, before turning back to more serious topics.

"So we're gonna kick that fish face's ass again?" asked Zoro.

"Yeah," said Luffy, "he'll get what's coming to him. Nobody hurts our nakama and gets away with it."

"That's what I like to hear," said Zoro.

xXsceneXx

Meanwhile, a orange haired girl wearing a striped blouse was sitting in a small boat with a smirk on her face as she sailed away from a smaller boat with three men in it.

"Suckers," said the woman, "as she sailed away. Thanks for the ship."

This was Nami. In another life, she was dubbed 'Cat Burglar Nami' and served as the Navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Now," said Nami, "to find their boss and take his map of the Grand Line."

xXsceneXx

Back with Luffy and Zoro, the two of them were facing a bit of a problem of their own. Luffy was hungry and they were out of food.

"HUUUUNGRY!" groaned Luffy.

"Damnit Luffy," said Zoro, "you had to eat all the food!"

"I need meat!" groaned Luffy.

Suddenly, the rubber captain perked up at a bird flying high above them, "That bird! That will be lunch!"

"Wait Luffy!" yelled Zoro, feeling a dangerous sense of Déjà vu.

" _Gum Gum Rocket!_ " yelled Luffy as he stretched his arms toward the bird and shot himself out at the bird. Unfortunately the bird was rather large and grabbed the rubber captain with it's talons before flying away.

"Damnit Luffy!" yelled Zoro as he rowed after his captain as fast as he could, "Not again!"

xXsceneXx

While Luffy's first mate pursued his captain, a certain orange haired thief also found herself in some trouble.

"GET BACK HERE!"

Nami had stolen a valuable map from the pirates occupying a small town. Unfortunately, the pirates had caught her in the act and now were chasing her through the streets of the town.

"Sorry boys," said Nami, "but the map is mine now."

Suddenly there was the explosion of cannon fire and a figure fell from the sky and landed in front of Nami, creating a small crater.

' _What the hell was that?_ ' thought Nami as she glanced at the crater.

"Alright!" said Luffy as he climbed out of the crater, "I finally got down!"

"Luffy?" said Nami in disbelief, "What's going on? Where are we?"

"Oh, Nami," said Luffy with a grin, "it's good to see you again. I'll explain everything later."

"Looks like this guy's with her!" said one of the pirates.

"Run!" said Nami.

The two of them dashed off as the pirates chased them through the streets. After some time, the two of them managed to head off the pirates and regrouped at the docks.

"So what's going on here?" asked Nami, "Last I remember was facing down the marines at Raftel."

"Well," began Luffy.

"Oi Luffy!" yelled a familiar voice.

Turning, Luffy and Nami saw a tired and grumpy Zoro walking up, dragging three beaten up and unconscious pirates that were soaking wet.

"It was understandable the first time you were caught by the bird, but to do so when you know that it would end badly is just stupid!" grumbled Zoro.

"So you remember too Zoro?" asked Nami.

"Yeah," said Luffy, "I made a deal with the One Piece, a magic talking crystal and we all came back to the beginning of our journey so we can do things right."

"That's…a lot to take in," said Nami.

"It is," said Zoro, "but it's a good opportunity."

"Right," said Luffy in a rare serious moment, "and after we deal with Big Nose, we're going to Cocoyasi Village to deal with Arlong's crew. That's a promise."

Nami shed tears of joy at the thought that her home would be finally free, "Thank you, Luffy."

"Don't worry about it," said Luffy, "you're my nakama."

"First things first," said Zoro, "we deal with the circus in town and the clown in charge."

"Then let's do this," said Nami as she got out her staff and assembled it, "its time for the circus to leave town."

xXsceneXx

In a fortified part of the city, a pirate captain, dressed like a clown down to the big red nose, was relaxing and partying with his crew, some of whom were also dressed in circus attire. This was the pirate crew of feared criminal, Buggy the Clown.

"So," said Buggy as he faced down one of the members of his crew, "let me get this straight. A teenage girl tricks you and manages to steal my map of the grand line, and you haven't caught her yet?"

"Captain Buggy," pleaded the pirate, "we have pirates scouring the streets for her, but she's a slippery thief and she could be in the cove."

"What was that?" growled Buggy, "Did you make fun of my  _NOSE?_ "

Apparently, Buggy had not the best hearing.

"No, Captain Buggy!" protested the pirate, "I was just saying the  _cove_  is big!"

"You're saying my  _NOSE_  is  _BIG_?!" roared Buggy as he raised his hand with knives in his fist.

Before the pirate could protest, Buggy's hand detached from his wrist and impaled the pirate with the knives. Pulling his hand back, he sheathed the knives and turned away from the corpse.

"Now, let's continue this flashily!" yelled Buggy, getting a cheer from his crew.

Suddenly the gates to their makeshift fort were destroyed. One was slashed apart while the other was reduced to splinters with a powerful punch.

"What is this?" growled Buggy.

"Yo," said Luffy as he dusted the sawdust from his fist and walked forward with Zoro and Nami, "we're looking for the clown with the big nose."

The pirates all froze in shock and horror at the comment of this brazen newcomer that had just called out their captain in the worst possible way.

"What was that?" growled Buggy, "What was that about my nose?"

"Yeah, I mean it's huge," said Luffy.

"Seriously, were you even trying to look scary?" mocked Zoro, "I thought pirates were supposed to be intimidating?"

"Yeah," added Nami, "you're a joke, unless you think that a pirate clown will scare people."

"BUGGY PIRATES!" yelled Buggy, "FLASHILY KILL THESE UPSTARTS FOR THEIR GALL!"

With a roar, the Buggy Pirates charged at the Straw Hats, determined to carry out their captain's orders.

Zoro stepped forward and got into a stance with his three swords.

" _Santoryu: TastuMaki!_ " yelled Zoro as he spun with his three swords, creating a twister of blades that sent the pirates flying with slashes covering their bodies.

It didn't take the First Mate of the Straw Hat pirates long to deal with the weaklings of Buggy's crew and he sheathed his blades as he walked back to his captain's side.

"We have a message," said Zoro, "the Circus is leaving town, TODAY."

"You think you three can force us out?" sneered Buggy, "Mohji, Cabaji, kill these three."

A pirate riding a unicycle and one riding a large lion approached the Straw Hats.

"You upstarts will regret facing the Buggy Pirates," said the unicycle rider, "I am Cabaji the Acrobat."

"And I'm Beast Tamer Mohji," said the one on the Lion, "Captain Buggy has ordered your deaths."

"So we'll take you out, as our captain orders," said Cabaji.

"I'll take the acrobat," said Zoro, "you take the freak on the lion, Nami."

"I think I can handle that," said Nami as she readied her staff.

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "this will be quick."

"ATTACK!" yelled Buggy.

"Go Richie!" yelled Mohji, causing his lion to charge at Nami.

The Navigator just smirked, having faced down much stronger enemies in the New World and the Grand Line and swung her Bo staff, slamming it into the Lion's head, before jabbing the tip into the Beast Master's gut. Both beast and master fell to the ground groaning in pain, before they were knocked unconscious by a particularly hard smack from Nami's weapon.

"That was easy," said Nami.

Meanwhile Zoro was idly blocking every attack that Cabaji threw at him without breaking a sweat. First the acrobat tried to blast Zoro with fire, but he simply channeled Haki into his blades and literally cut through the fire. Cabaji then tried throwing a barrage of exploding tops at Zoro, but the swordsman cut through them with his swords, causing them to explode harmlessly around him.

"This is getting boring," said Zoro as he got into a stance with his back faced toward the Acrobat.

"You dare turn your back on me?" smirked Cabaji as he rushed forward with a sword in one hand and daggers in the other.

"This will end in one move," said Zoro, " _Rengoku…_ "

When Cabaji was inches away, Zoro spun around and slashed his swords across his chest, " _Oni Giri!_ "

Zoro's swords shattered the Acrobat's blades as if they were made of sugar glass and left a giant slash across his chest, causing an X shaped spray of blood. Zoro walked back to Luffy's side.

"You bastards," growled Buggy, "you steal from me, you thrash my crew, and you take out my top commanders. I will make you pay for this!"

"I'll take you on," said Luffy with a smirk.

"We'll see," said Buggy, " _Chop Chop Buzzsaw!_ "

Buggy made knives come out of his shoes and detached his upper half, sending the lower half of his body spinning toward Luffy while the upper half remained floating in the air.

Luffy simply smirked as the attack came at him and channeled Haki to his leg, " _Buso Koka: Gum Gum Stamp!_ "

Luffy's leg turned black and shiny and he kicked it out, slamming it into Buggy's spinning lower half, sending it flying into a building. Luckly for the pirate clown, his lower half soon came back to him, albeit bruised and sore.

"Say goodbye, Big Nose!" said Luffy as he ran forward with his arms stretching back behind him, " _Gum Gum Bazooka!_ "

Luffy slammed his hands into Buggy's body so hard that he was not only sent flying, but he lost control of his powers and his body split apart as he was flying away, guaranteeing that it would take the clown pirate a  _long_  time to put himself back together again.

Luffy grinned as he turned to face the rest of the pirates, "Anyone care to run?"

 


	4. Let's Go Fishing

We find our heroes sailing across the East Blue in the boat Nami had stolen from the Buggy Pirates. Their destination was Cocoyasi Village, and their mission was to take down the Arlong Pirates and tear down their fort, Arlong Park. Last time, they hadn't been able to do this this soon, because of their lack of knowledge about the pain Nami's home was in, but this time, they were determined to free her village from both the Marines and the Pirates.

"You guys ready for this?" asked Luffy.

"I've been waiting for this for years," answered Nami as she adjusted the sail.

"I think we can take them," said Zoro.

"Don't get all cut up this time," teased Nami.

"Oi!" protested Zoro, "That was because of the fight with Mihawk! I'll be at full strength this time."

"That's for sure," smiled Luffy, "old saw-nose won't throw me to the bottom of the sea this time!"

"Just don't use that pinwheel technique again," muttered Zoro.

"So how much longer?" asked Luffy.

"Another few days," replied Nami as she checked a compass, "the weather seems good and we have a good wind at our backs. If the weather continues to favor us, then we should be there in no time."

"Good," smirked Zoro, "let's go teach that fish face a lesson."

xXsceneXx

Meanwhile, Arlong Pirates were lounging in their fortress, laughing about the destruction of one of the villages under their control. Downing a tankard of rum, one of the pirates stood up.

"HA! Those pathetic humans thought that they could form a resistance, but we showed them!" laughed the pirate, "Humans are scum that are lucky to lick the barnacles from our feet!"

"Shahahaha! I couldn't have said it better myself," laughed Arlong, a saw-shark fishman, as he reclined on his throne.

"Speaking of humans," said Hatchan, a octopus fishman, "anyone know when Nami is getting back?"

"She is probably still gathering treasure," said Chew, a smelt-whiting fishman, "we probably wont see her for a while."

"True," nodded Arlong as he sipped his drink, "it's too bad. We just gathered some new ocean current data for her to translate into more maps."

The assembled pirates laughed at that remark as they continued to party.

"Yeah," scoffed a fishman, "she may be good, but she's still a lowly human."

"Now now," said Arlong in a sarcastically insincere tone, "we shouldn't say such things about such a  _valued_  member of our crew."

The rest of the pirates laughed again at that remark and continued with their partying, not knowing that their 'crewmember' would be arriving sooner than expected.

xXsceneXx

It was a few days later that the three members of the Straw Hat Crew moored their dingy on the beach of one of the Conomi Islands. After securing the boat on the sand, the group looked around.

"Well, we're here," said Zoro.

"Yeah," node Luffy, "now we can kick the asses of those pirates and free Nami's home."

"I'm really grateful for all of this," said Nami with a sincere smile.

"Grateful enough to get rid of those ridiculous debts that you slapped on me for borrowing tiny bit of money that I actually gave back in full?" asked Zoro.

"Not that grateful," smirked Nami, "a girl's gotta make a living."

"Witch," muttered Zoro.

"Well," said Nami as she clapped her hands together, "lets get going."

"Right," nodded Zoro as he began to walk…but before he took three steps, Nami grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him, "What?"

"No way you're leading us," sighed Nami, "not with your infamous lack of direction."

"My sense of direction isn't that bad!" growled Zoro.

"Really?" said Nami with a raised eyebrow.

"Really!"

"Well then," smirked Nami, "why were you going that way when Arlong Park is in the opposite direction."

There was silence for a few seconds.

"…shut up and walk," grumbled Zoro as Nami and Luffy lead the way toward Cocoyasi village.

As the group walked, they mentally prepared themselves for the battle that would come. They new what their opponents would be capable of and, unlike with Buggy, these pirates were no pushovers. There was a reason Arlong had the highest bounty in the East Blue after all.

As they approached the village, the pirates recognized the looks of scorn that the villagers leveled at Nami as she approached. Normally, Luffy and Zoro would be confused, but this time, the three of them knew the truth of what their navigator was going through, and that the villagers also knew this same truth. Luffy smirked, this time, things were different, so why not give them some hope.

"OI!" yelled out Luffy, "MY NAME IS MONKEY D. LUFFY, FUTURE PIRATE KING! AND TODAY, ME AND MY CREW ARE GOING TO TAKE DOWN ARLONG PARK!"

The villagers could only gape in shock at the bold statement. It was a few minutes before they were able to compose themselves enough to respond. Standing up from where he sat on a bench, Genzo, the mayor of the village walked over to the pirates.

"Stop talking nonsense," he muttered, "the two of you can't possibly take down Arlong's entire crew."

"It's the three of us," corrected Zoro, "Nami's one of us."

"That brat?" scoffed Genzo, "she's probably going to stab you in the back for your money like she always does."

"Mr. Genzo," said Nami softly, "please stop. I know you know about the deal I made with Arlong to buy back the village."

"What?" exclaimed Genzo, "How? Nobody said anything, I'm sure of it!"

"It's complicated," sighed Nami, "but I know now that Arlong has no intention of keeping up his end of the deal, so I'm going to end it my way."

"Let's go," said Luffy as he and his crew began the walk to Arlong park, "it's time to end this."

**(play: Katekyo Hitman Reborn / Tsuna Awakens OST)**

As the three pirates began their walk, the villagers began to emerge from their houses and shops, watching the one who had boldly claimed that he would be the next Pirate King and would liberate their home. They began to whisper to each other and eventually followed the three as they neared the large gates of Arlong Park.

The three pirates walked down the dusty path with looks of determination on their faces as they approached the fortress of the Arlong Pirates. The villagers couldn't help but hope for the first time in a long while as they watched the three of them approach the towering structure. Maybe they would finally get the freedom they dreamed of.

Stopping in front of the gates, Luffy drew back his fist and coated it with Haki. Swinging it forward in a blur of speed and power, he punched the large gates. The power behind the punch coupled with the Haki he had coated his arm with, shattered the massive gates to splinters of stone and concrete. Stepping over the ruined threshold, the Straw Hat pirates came face to face with the mass of fishmen, all sporting shocked looks on their faces at the human that had shattered their front door with a single punch.

"Arlong," growled Luffy, "I'm here to take you down."

**(end song)**

"Shahahaha!" laughed Arlong, "A human thinks that he can take me down?"

"We don't just think that," responded Nami as she stepped forward, "it's more of a promise."

"Ah, Nami," smirked Arlong, showing his razor sharp teeth, "how good of you to return to us. We even have more maps for you to make."

"Get real, chum face," spat Nami, causing the fishmen to gasp at her disrespect, "I won't draw a singe map for you, and you will pay for killing my mother."

"Nami Nami Nami," sighed Arlong sarcastically, "how many times have you tried to kill me? And you even think that just because you have two humans with you that you have a chance? You are but three while we are many!"

"We have more than just a chance," said Luffy, "and as for your crew, I just see some fish that have been left out for too long. It's starting to smell."

"What did you say?" snarled Arlong as his pirates had similar expressions of rage on their faces, "Slaughter those fools! And when you're done, raze the village to the ground!"

With a battle cry, the Arlong Pirates charged at the three humans, weapons in hand ready to tear them limb from limb. Luffy and Zoro just smirked and got into fighting stances, with Zoro readying his three swords, and Luffy cocking his fists back.

" _Santoryu,_ " said Zoro

" _Gum Gum,_ " said Luffy as he began to punch rapidly.

" _Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!/Cannon!_ " the two pirates finished together, releasing a powerful combo attack that blasted the charging fishmen back, sending them flying into the opposite wall with slashes on their bodies and broken bones from the punches.

"Is that all you got?" asked the captain and his first mate.

There was silence over the area as Arlong looked over the carnage that the two pirates had wrought on his crew. Slowly rising to his feet, Arlong looked at the pirates with pure rage and fury in his eyes.

"You…you…HUMANS!" roared Arlong.

"Sir," said Kurobi, a manta-ray fishman, "do not lose control just yet. We do not want you to destroy Arlong Park."

"Right," said Chew, "let us take care of these humans."

"We'll make them pay for sure," said Hachi, "nobody beats up our friends like that!"

"Leave Nami alive," growled Arlong as he sat down again, "she is still useful to us, but she will be punished for this outrage."

"Be warned, humans," said Kurobi as the three lieutenants of the Arlong Pirates walked forward, "we are the strongest fighters in this crew. You won't survive this battle."

"I wouldn't be so sure," smirked Zoro, "I've been looking forward to a good fight."

"Same here," grinned Luffy, "Let's kick their butts!"

**to be continued…**

 

 


	5. Fish Fry

Arlong looked over the broken and beaten bodies of his fellow Fishmen with a look of rage and fury. These humans had decimated nearly his entire crew in one fell swoop.

"You," snarled Arlong, "you humans! I'm going to tear you apart."

"Bring it on fish face," taunted Luffy.

Arlong took a step forward, but his three lieutenants stepped up to block his way.

"Lord Arlong," said Kurobi, "do not lose control yet. We can still defeat these intruders without endangering Arlong Park."

"We'll deal with these punks," smirked Hatchan as cracked his six knuckles.

"I've been looking forward to this," smirked Zoro as he readied his three blades, placing the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth and tying his sash around his head, "I'll take the octo-wuss."

"Me too," said Nami as she spun her staff into a fighting stance, "and I'll take trumpet lips."

"That leaves ugly fin-arms to me," said Luffy as he straightened his hat.

The three Lieutenants of the Arlong pirates snarled at the degrading nicknames that the Straw Hat Pirates had given them.

"You humans think you can just say that to us?" growled Kurobi as he cracked his knuckles and got into a Fishman Karate stance, "We'll take our time crushing you now."

"You humans will learn your place," said Chew.

Hatchan leapt through and window and came back carrying six swords, one in each hand, "Now face, the master of Rokutoryu! I'll show you who's an Octo-wuss!"

"Then let's do this," said Zoro.

And with that, the two sides rushed at each other to begin the fight.

xXZoro vs HatchanXx

"So what if you have three blades," said Hatchan, "I'm the top swordsman of the Arlong Pirates! Your three won't beat my six."

"The number of blades is unimportant," said Zoro, "what matters is the resolve of the one who uses them. Because of that, my swords are stronger than yours."

"We'll see who's stronger!" said Hatchan as he charged at Zoro with his swords swinging wildly, " _Takoashi Kiken!_ "

Zoro smirked as he saw this attack coming. It was just like last time, except this time, he wasn't hindered by his wounds from a previous fight. Pity he couldn't go all out, as Hatchan needed to be alive to help them in the future.

" _Santotryu,_ " said Zoro as he shot at Hatchan and twisted through his swinging blades to slice the fishman several times, " _Toro Nagashi!_ "

Zoro came to a stop behind Hatchan and flicked his blades to the side just as several cuts opened up on the octopus fishman's torso.

"GAH!" cried out Hatchan in pain, "Damn you human! You think that you're so great because you dodged my attack, but I've only just begun.  _Rokutoryu: Takotsubo no Kamae!_ "

Hatchan held his swords so all the points touched each other making a cone-like formation and charged at Zoro.

Zoro simply held his swords in a stance as the fishman charged at him, " _Rengoku: Oni Giri!_ "

Swinging his swords, Zoro spun and sent a powerful slash that shattered Hatchan's six blades and sent the fishman flying into a wall with various cuts on his person and a large X shaped slash on his chest.

"Six against three means nothing when one is truly strong," said Zoro as he sheathed his blades.

xXNami vs ChewXx

"You really think that you have a chance against me, little girl?" sneered Chew.

"I more than just think it," said Nami, "I know you're the weakest of Arlong's lieutenants, so you won't be a problem."

"WEAKEST!" growled Chew, "I'll show you who's weak!  _Mizudeppo!_ "

Chew shot a blast of pressurized water from his mouth at Nami, but the navigator, thanks to years of running away and dodging, was able to quickly twist out of the way and slam her staff into his chest, causing the fishman to stagger back and cough.

"Why you little…" growled Chew.

Nami didn't give him a chance to finish and began to smash the fishman with a barrage of strikes from her staff. The fishman was sent to his knees when Nami smashed her weapon into his crotch only to be caught in the face by an upward swing of the weapon as well, knocking out several teeth.

"This is for Genzo," said Nami as she smashed her staff into the fishman's head.

"This is for the village!" said Nami as she smashed him again.

"And this," she said as she raised her staff high, "is for my mother."

With one more powerful blow to the fishman's head, that cracked his skull and knocked him flat against the concrete floor, making a small series of cracks. Upon, seeing that the fishman was knocked out and down for the count, Nami turned and walked away with a smile on her face and watched for her crewmate and captain to finish their fights.

xXLuffy vs KurobiXx

"I don't know what you humans were thinking, storming into our fortress to help that little girl," said Kurobi, "but you will regret crossing us. I am Kurobi, level 40 black belt in Fishman Karate."

"Well I'm Monkey D. Luffy, future king of the pirates," said Luffy with a grin, "and I've fought guys a lot stronger than you, fish brain."

Kurobi growled and shot at Luffy, slamming his fist into the rubber captain, sending him flying into a wall, blasting through it.

"Pathetic," said Kurobi, "is this the extent of your power, human?"

Kurobi began to turn away, but stopped when he heard the rubble shifting. Turning around, he saw that the Straw Hat captain was getting to his feet and dusting his hat off.

"That was some punch," said Luffy, "but I've felt worse hits from my grandpa."

Charging at Kurobi and stretching his arm back and twisting it, Luffy prepared his own attack, " _Gum Gum Rifle_ "

Luffy smashed his fist into the gut of the fishman, sending him skidding back as he coughed up some blood.

"Impressive," growled Kurobi, "but not enough!  _Wanto Giri!_ "

The fishman shot at Luffy and slammed him with the large fin on his arm, sending him into the air. He then leapt after him and sent him to the ground with a powerful axe kick, creating a small crater.

"Come on," smirked Luffy as he got to his feet, "is that all you've got?"

Luffy charged at Kurobi as the fishman did the same and they both readied punches, except Luffy coated his fist in Armament Haki as he did so."

" _Senmaigawara Seiken!_ " yelled Kurobi as he punched forward.

" _Buso Koka: Gum Gum Bullet!_ " yelled Luffy as his fist became black and shiny and he met Kurobi's fist with his own.

The two colliding attacks released a shockwave that shattered several pillars in the Park's courtyard and knocked the spectating villagers off their feet. Kurobi may have been strong, but Luffy's Haki augmented punch packed enough force to shatter all the bones in his arm and send him flying through the wall, leaving him lying on the ground, unconscious from the pain and force of the attack.

xXsceneXx

Arlong was boiling with rage as he watched the three human pirates take out his three top fighters with relative ease. Standing from his throne, he swung a fist out, smashing the wall behind him to bits.

"You humans," growled Arlong, "I was going to let you live as slaves to the Arlong Pirates, but now, I'm going to make you all suffer before I rip you apart, and before you die, I'll make you watch as I raze this island and it's inhabitants to the ground!"

"Bring it on, shark bait!" said Luffy.

"You'll find that we humans are stronger than you think," said Zoro.

"Just stand back, Nami," said Luffy, "we'll make him pay."

**To be continued…**

 


	6. Shark Fin Soup

Arlong glared at the three pirates that had decimated his crew and KOed his top three fighters with eyes filled with boiling rage.

"You humans dare to march into my palace and decimate my crew?" Arlong snarled as he got to his feet, "I will make you all suffer. But first I will make you watch as I torture every single villager on this island, making them beg for death!"

Arlong slammed his fist into his throne, shattering it with a single blow. He then brought his hands to his mouth and ripped his teeth from his mouth, allowing them to grow back before repeating the process, granting him one set of teeth in each hand to use as weapons.

"I'll show you why we are the master race," yelled Arlong.

" _Gear Second!_ " said Luffy as he stomped his foot, causing his leg to move like a pump, "We'll see about that, fish face."

"I think my blades wouldn't mind tasting some shark today," smirked Zoro around Wado's hilt.

Arlong didn't respond, instead opting to charge at Luffy and Zoro, trying to attack them with the teeth in his hands. Luffy shot out of the way with his Gear Second enhanced speed, but Zoro opted to stand his ground and used his swords to block the teeth from reaching him. Zoro smirked when he saw small cracks form on the teeth. Before Arlong could attack again, Luffy appeared next to him with his fist back.

" _Jet Pistol!_ "

The force of Luffy's punch hurled the fishman through the wall of Arlong Park, causing him to drop the teeth he had been using.

"Looks like this fish is cooked," said Luffy.

"Don't get cocky," warned Zoro, "it'll take more than that."

Suddenly Zoro moved in front of Luffy and brought his swords up to block Arlong shooting at them, nose first, like a living spear. Zoro managed to deflect the attack, but the force behind it sent him flying into the water.

"Ha!" laughed Arlong as he picked himself up, "You may have been strong on the land, but the ocean is my domain!"

Arlong then dived into the water, leaving Luffy on the shore, cursing the fact that he couldn't swim due to his Devil Fruit.

xXsceneXx

Zoro mentally cursed as he fell into the ocean and began to sink. He figured he shouldn't have tried to take Arlong's attack head on. As he sheathed his two katanas so he could swim back to the surface, he saw a figure streak past him, tearing a gash in his side. Turning around, he saw that Arlong had joined him in the underwater battle.

"Humans are like fish out of water when they have to swim," laughed Arlong, "but for us fishmen, the ocean is our natural domain.  _Shark on Darts!_ "

Arlong shot at Zoro again and again, forcing the swordsman to take Wado from his mouth and try to deflect the blows. Unfortunately, due to his limited strength underwater and the enhanced speed the water gave to Arlong's attacks, he was only able to slightly deflect the attacks and received several cuts on his body from the fishman's nose.

' _I can't match him here,_ ' thought Zoro as his lungs began to burn, ' _I need to get back to dry land._ '

Zoro gripped Wado as Arlong turned for another pass. As Arlong shot at him again, Zoro swung his sword, sending a powerful spiraling shockwave flying at Arlong that was so strong, it not only sent the fishman flying to the surface with cuts on his body, it actually parted the water he was submerged in, leaving the swordsman standing on dry land.

' ** _Sanbakurokuju Pound Ho!_** '

xXsceneXx

Luffy and the townsfolk could only watch as the waters surged from Zoro and Arlong's battle. When they saw Arlong's body fly out of the water as the sea parted, the citizens' jaws hit the ground as Zoro jumped to land again.

"Want to tag in Luffy?" asked Zoro as he tried to catch his breath.

"You bet!" said Luffy as he smacked his hand into his palm.

"You humans," growled Arlong as he pulled himself out of a pile of rubble he had landed in, "Don't get cocky just yet. You want to play with swords? Then have a taste of mine!"

Arlong walked to the wall of his palace before punching through the stone into the room inside. Ripping his hand out of the wall, he withdrew a large weapon that looked like a cross between a saw and a nodachi. This was the Kiribachi, Arlong's infamous Shark Saw.

"I got this," smirked Luffy as he cracked his knuckles.

With a roar, Arlong charged at Luffy, swinging his blade to tear the rubber captain in two, but Luffy simply got into a stance and raised his arm up to block the swing.

" _Busoshoku: Koka!_ " yelled Luffy, coating his arms in Haki, giving them a shiny black appearance.

Swinging his arms to block the Shark Saw, Luffy's Haki enhanced arms shattered two of the 'teeth' on the saw as if they were made of glass.

"Impossible!" growled Arlong.

"I'm not done yet!" said Luffy as he got into a stance and let his Haki fade,  _Jet Pistol!_ "

Luffy's fist shot at Arlong faster than he could track, sending the Fishman skidding back from the blow. When Arlong looked again, Luffy was gone, with only a slight breeze remaining where he had stood. The next thing he knew, Luffy was next to him ready to throw another punch. Arlong brought his Kiribachi up to block the punch, but Luffy's strength shattered the blade's teeth and snapped the handle in two.

Appearing in front of Arlong in a burst of speed, Luffy slammed a punch into the chest of the fishman, fracturing several ribs, " _Jet Bullet!_ "

Arlong was sent flying into the outer wall of Arlong park, creating a small crater in the stone.

"Pitiful!" growled Arlong as he spat some blood out, "I'll end this!  _Shark on Tooth!_ "

Arlong shot at Luffy as if he was using his  _Shark on Darts_  attack except this time, he was spinning like a drill, aiming to tear Luffy to shreds. The rubber captain wasn't worried though, channeling Haki to his leg, he slammed a kick into the incoming shark, sending him flying through the air.

Jumping after him, Luffy bit down on his thumb and inflated his arm, causing his fist to bulge like a balloon, " _Gear Third!_ "

Focusing his Haki, Luffy coated his arm turning the massive fist shiny and black, " _Busoshoku: Koka!_ "

When he was level with the airborne Arlong, he took aim, " _Gum Gum: **ELEPHANT GUN!**_ "

The massive punch sent Arlong crashing into one of the upper rooms of the park, one that Nami immediately recognized, aided by the fact that the impact sent several papers and books fluttering out to land in the ocean. Luffy wasn't done though, he inflated his other arm and coated it with Haki as well, before punching forward at Arlong as he lay in the wreckage of what was once his map room.

" ** _Gum Gum: Elephant GATTLING!_** " yelled Luffy, as he punched Arlong and the building he lay in over and over with his massive fists.

Splinters flew as Luffy's attacks all but destroyed Arlong Park, driving the Fishman Captain deeper and deeper into a crater that was formed from the barrage. The punches were so strong that the ground that Arlong Park was built on began to crumble and fall into the sea. The townsfolk watched as Luffy's attack drove Arlong deep into the ground allowing the falling debris and washing tides to entomb the fishman captain in the ruins of his palace.

Landing on the ground that hadn't been destroyed, Luffy turned to the watching villagers and raised his hand, "ARLONG PARK HAS FALLEN!"

There was silence for a moment before the crowd erupted in cheers. The force that had oppressed their island was now gone. Unfortunately, their cheers were interrupted by a snooty voice clearing his throat.

"Ahem," said a rat-faced (literally, the guy resembles a rat down to the whiskers) marine officer as he marched forward with his troops, "my name is Captain Nezumi. With the defeat of the Arlong Pirates, I believe it is my duty to finish cleaning up the mess here and take in these three pirates as well. I believe we should collect Arlong's treasure from the remains of his fortress as well."

The town was in outrage at that statement.

"How dare you!"

"These people saved us!"

"You were working with Arlong in the first place!"

"That treasure belongs to the town!"

"Silence," said Nezumi, "any more outbursts and I will have you detained. Soldiers, prepare to detain…"

Before he could continue, the end of Nami's staff slammed into his face, sending him skidding along the ground.

"Get out of our town, rat-face," spat Nami.

"You bitch!" yelled Nezumi, "I am a Marine Captain! Soldiers, take her in!"

The troops raised their weapons but hesitated when Luffy stepped forward with a dark look in his eyes.

"Don't touch my Nakama," he growled before releasing a focused blast of Conqueror's Haki that caused the men to pass out, foaming at the mouth.

"Now," said Zoro as he stepped forward and grabbed Nezumi's collar, "TAKE A HIKE!"

With a mighty heave, Nezumi was sent flying through the air until he vanished with a twinkle in the sky.

"My name is Monkey D. Luffy!" declared Luffy, "and this island is under my protection!"

xXsceneXx

The town partied for three days straight, celebrating their freedom from the Arlong pirates with feasting and dancing. At the dawn of the fourth day, the Straw Hat Pirates were ready to set sail in a boat the town gave to them. As they left, they found that there was a surprising addition to their crew: Nojiko. She explained that she wanted to travel with them to see the world and become strong like they were.

And thus, the crew gained their first new member and set off ripples in the stream that would impact greater things.

 

 


	7. Black Cats Cross Your Path

Nojiko was feeling a bit confused. She had only recently joined the Straw Hat Pirates because she wanted to see the world and become stronger like her sister had, but she was quickly finding that the group wasn't like any pirate crew she had ever heard about. She had woken up when the sun shone through her window and walked out to see her sister practically throttling her new captain while yelling at him for eating so much of their food. Not only that, but the swordsman that was his first mate was simply standing to the side lifting some rather large weights.

Walking over to Zoro, she pointed at Nami and Luffy's squabble, "Is it usually like this?"

"Pretty much," grunted Zoro as he hefted his weights, "you're new, but this is pretty much the normal routine."

"Isn't he the captain, though?" said Nojiko.

"Luffy may be the captain, but he's an idiot," said Zoro as he practiced sword swings with the weights, "it's usually up to the rest of us to keep the ship afloat.

Nojiko had to lean on the railing as she wondered just what kind of crew she had decided to join. She knew they were incredibly strong, but the hierarchy in the crew was rather messed up.

"Ah, Nojiko," said Nami as she walked up with a smile, "good to see you're up."

"Hey sis," said Nojiko, "so, where are we headed next?"

"We have a few more crewmembers to pick up," said Nami as she pulled out a map of the East Blue, "we're either going to the Baratie or Syrup Town."

"I say we get Ussop," said Luffy, "that way we can get the Merry as well."

"That does sound like a good idea," said Zoro as he continued his workout, "our crew is going to be getting big, so we'll need the room."

"Um," said Nojiko, "what's this Merry you're talking about?"

"Oh," said Luffy with a smile, "it's our pirate ship."

"Wait," said Nojiko, "you mean you have a ship besides this little dinghy?"

"Yup," said Luffy, "the Going Merry is a great ship that carried us where we needed to go, through thick and thin."

"Then why are we sailing on this little thing and not the Merry?" asked Nojiko, causing Zoro and Nami to exchange a nervous look.

"That's kind of complicated," said Nami evasively, "to put it simply we're going to go and get it back at our next stop."

Before Nojiko could inquire further, a seagull carrying a newspaper and a money pouch flew down to the ship, landing on the railing near Nami. The seagull squawked, causing Nami to sigh and drop a few coins into the pouch before taking a newspaper.

"Seriously," she groaned, "your prices are getting unreasonable. It's just a newspaper. Keep raising them and I'll stop paying."

The seagull simply squawked again before flying off to continue on its delivery route. Nami opened up the paper and began to read the headlines, causing two three papers to fall out of the paper and float to the deck facedown at Nojiko's feet. Nojiko picked up the papers and turned them over, gasping in shock at what was written on them.

"What is it?" asked Nami as the others rushed over.

Nojiko simply turned over the papers to reveal three wanted posters, one for each of the original Straw Hats.

** Wanted **

" **Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy**

** Bounty: 70,000,000 Dead or Alive **

** Wanted **

" **Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro**

** Bounty: 50,000,000 Dead or Alive **

** Wanted **

" **Cat Burglar" Nami**

** Bounty: 14,000,000 **

Zoro and Luffy were impressed at their 'new' initial bounties, with Luffy's being higher that it was before and Zoro's being higher than Luffy's 'first' bounty. Nami however was rather depressed that she had gotten her bounty so early in their adventure, even if it was less than it originally was.

"Heh," said Zoro, "I got my bounty rather early this time. Though I don't care much for the initial amount."

"Ha ha!" cheered Luffy, "We're wanted! And my bounty is even higher this time!"

"Why?" moaned Nami, "I haven't really done anything that significant this time!"

"Seriously!" exclaimed Nojiko in frustration, "You all talk like you've done all of this before, but at the same time, act like this is all new! What's up with that?"

"Well," said Nami nervously, but before she could think up an excuse, a cannonball smashed into the water next to their little boat, causing a wave that nearly capsized them.

"What was that?" said Nojiko in surprise.

"We're under attack," said Luffy.

"And what a coincidence," said Zoro with a smirk, "look who's the one attacking us."

The ship that had fired at the Straw Hats was a large black pirate ship with red highlights and a black cat figurehead. The original members of the Straw Hat crew recognized this ship as the vessel of the Black Cat Pirates. Coincidentally, the same pirates who's captain they were going to beat at their next stop.

"Looks like we have some travelers," laughed one of the pirates on the ship, "hand over your goods or we blow you out of the water!"

"They're confident, aren't they," chuckled Zoro.

"We'll still kick their asses," said Luffy.

"What are you talking about?" exclaimed Nojiko, "They have a huge ship and cannons!"

"Watch over the ship, Nami," said Luffy before he leaped at the enemy ship, stretching his arm to swing aboard.

Zoro drew Wado and channeled Haki to the blade before using it to slice through several cannonballs that had been shot at their ship. He watched as Luffy swung aboard and began to beat his way through the pirates on the ship. The rubber captain used his control over the two common forms of Haki to smash down the pirates while also avoiding their attacks. Several pirates tried to slice through him with their swords, but a quick burst of Armament Haki easily shattered the steel blades like glass, allowing Luffy to knock them out with a powerful punch.

"Oi oi," said a slim pirate with green hair clawed gloves, "looks like we got a rat messing around on our ship."

"Looks like we're going hunting, Sham," said a large pirate wearing only a cape and pants and black paint covering part of his face.

"But of course, Buchi," said Sham.

Luffy glanced at the two pirates as they charged at him with their claws, dodging their slashes by letting his body sway like a leaf in the wind, his Observation Haki telling him their attacks before they make them. Deciding not to fool around with them, Luffy caught the arms of the two pirates in an iron grip before swinging his arms to slam the two of them together with enough force to knock them unconscious.

"Clear out, Luffy!" called our Zoro, "I'm taking that ship down."

When Luffy had swung back to their boat with his rubber arms, Zoro stepped up to the bow of their boat and closed his eyes with his hand gripping his sheathed blade in a reverse grip as he focused his Haki.

" _Ittoryru Iai: Shishi Sonson!_ "

Zoro unsheathed his sword in a flash of motion, delivering a powerful slash before sheathing his sword again twice as fast. The attack released a powerful blade of wind that tore through the water before striking the Black Cat Pirates' ship, easily cleaving the vessel in half as if it was just a piece of fruit. Turning his back on the sinking wreckage, he smirked.

"So, shall we be on our way?" he asked.

"Right," said Nami, "next stop, Syrup Town."

' _What kind of crew is this?_ ' thought Nojiko weakly.

 

 


	8. Bad Luck for Captain Kuro

"Here we are!" said Luffy as he stepped onto the beach of the Gecko Islands.

"So what are we doing here again?" asked Nojiko as she stepped onto the sand.

"We're here to pick up our Sniper," said Luffy with a grin, "he should be around here somewhere."

As if summoned forth by their conversation, about a dozen pirate flags emerged from the bushes and were waved around.

"Halt you pirates!" a familiar voice echoed out, "I am Captain Ussop, ruler of this island and commander of a mighty army of bloodthirsty warriors! If you think you can just set foot on this island, then you'll have to fight us!"

"There's another pirate crew on this island?!" exclaimed Nojiko.

"I wouldn't worry too much," said Nami.

"Why not?" asked Nojiko, "I mean, I know you guys beat Arlong, but this is an army of mighty warriors!"

"Wait," said the voice, "you guys beat Arlong?"

Luffy smirked, "That we did. And we have a combined bounty of 134,000,000 berries! So do you really want to fight us, Ussop?"

Nojiko noticed that the flags had stopped waving and were now trembling from hearing about the strength of the crew they were threatening.

"So what's it gonna be?" asked Luffy in a dangerous voice, "Are you man enough to follow through with your threat, or will you run and live to fight another day."

Before the voice could answer, the flags fell to the ground and the scampering of feet could be heard fading into the distance as the members of Ussop's 'crew' ran in fear of this crew's power.

"Looks like your crew's abandoned you," said Zoro, "so why don't you come out and greet us in person, instead of playing pirate with three kids."

At those words, the voice laughed and a slim figure with a long nose stood up out of the bushes.

"It's good to see you guys again," said Ussop.

"Good to see you too, Ussop," said Nami, "this is our new crewmate, my sister Nojiko. She's going to be coming with us on this journey."

"Well, nice to meet you," said Ussop, "I'm captain Ussop, the great and mighty warrior of the seas!"

"And a notorious liar," added Nami, causing Ussop to face fault.

"A-anyways," said Ussop as he tried to recover, "let's head into town and we can catch up."

The group nodded and Ussop led the way into the village. Once there, the group gathered in a tavern where Luffy ordered a mountain of food and Zoro and Nami ordered some grog for themselves.

"It's great to see you guys again," said Ussop. He had gotten the cue from a look from Nami that Nojiko didn't know about their return from the future, "so what've you guys been up to?"

"Nothing much," said Zoro, "we beat a few pirates, and sunk the Black Cats when they shot at us."

"Right," said Ussop, "the Black Cats. That reminds me, Kuro's still here. How will we deal with him?"

"We have to wait for him to tip his hand," said Zoro, "we don't want him to strike out preemptively."

"Who's this Kuro person?" asked Nojiko.

"Remember the pirates that attacked us on the way here?" asked Zoro as he sipped his drink, "He's their captain."

"Why is he here?" asked Nojiko.

"It's a complicated story," said Zoro, "and one we can't share in public without the risk of causing a panic. To make it simple, we're going to beat his ass."

"So," said Ussop as he tried to change the subject, "what made you want to join our crew, Nojiko?"

Nojiko looked down at her glass as she answered, "I watched these three fight and save our village, and I decided that I wanted to become strong like them, so I asked to join them so I could learn to fight."

"That's a worthwhile goal," nodded Ussop.

"So how exactly did you guys get so strong?" asked Nojiko as she looked at the Navigator, Captain, and First Mate of the Strawhats.

Zoro shrugged, "I trained my ass off and fought against baboons that copied the skills of powerful warriors, including the strongest swordsman alive."

Luffy paused as he ate, "I fought giant beasts on an island with harsh weather while foraging for food and such."

"I trained my body and mind on a island that was really a man eating plant," said Ussop.

Nami answered next, "I just studied a lot."

Nojiko sweatdropped at their answers, "Is that what I'm going to need to do to become strong?"

"Not necessarily," said Nami, "you'll need to find out what you're good at first before you begin training."

"What kinds of skills do you have?" asked Ussop.

"I'm good at sneaking around," said Nojiko, "and I'm rather flexible."

"I've got it!" said Luffy around a mouthful of meat, "you can be our scout!"

There was silence for a moment before Nami spoke up, "That…isn't a bad idea actually."

"We'd have to work on your stealth," mused Zoro, "but that shouldn't be too hard."

"I'm sure I could make some items for you so you could conceal weapons on your person at all times," said Ussop.

"Then it's decided," said Luffy, "now lets think of a way to deal with the glasses bastard here."

xXsceneXx

Meanwhile, a slim man wearing a suit and glasses walked through the corridors of a large mansion. Stopping, he raised his had and adjusted his glasses with the base of his palm.

"Where is that crew of mine?" he muttered, "They should have reported in by now. I won't be able to hold off my plans for much longer. The liar brat suspects something and he has the ear of the little princess. If he influences her too much, she might learn the truth, and if I simply kill him, she will become suspicious. I must move carefully."

With this, the man continued on his way through the large mansion, unaware of the new arrivals that would throw a wrench into his schemes.

 


	9. To Skin a Cat

"So what's the plan for Kuro?" asked Usopp as the group walked through the town, "I mean we can't just walk up there and call him out."

"Why not?"

The group stopped and turned to their captain with incredulous looks on their face.

"You can't be serious," said Usopp.

"Sadly, I think he was," sighed Zoro.

"I have a bad feeling about this," groaned Nojiko.

"Welcome to my life," said Nami with her head down in exasperation.

"Luffy," said Zoro, "we can't just go and call him out. If we do so, we won't have any evidence and we'll look like we're attacking a good man without cause."

"Then what can we do?" muttered Luffy.

"We'd have to be careful," said Zoro, "Kuro is trusted by the townsfolk and by his mistress."

Nami nodded as well, "We'd need to bring his treachery to light before we take him down."

"I may have a plan," said Nojiko, "but first, what can you tell me about this Kuro person?"

xXsceneXx

Kuro, or Klahadore, as he was now called, was currently cleaning a vase in the mansion belonging to Kaya, the young rich girl that employed him as a butler. Straightening his glasses with the base of his palm, he put his duster aside and checked his pocket watch.

' _Hmmm,_ ' mused the pirate turned butler, ' _the long nosed brat hasn't shown up today. Usually his antics can be heard all the way to the coast._ '

Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door, causing Klahadore to raise a brow in surprise. Snapping his watch shut he headed to the front door of the mansion, wondering who would be visiting. It couldn't be Jango, he had enough brains not to meet here. Opening the door, he was surprised to see Usopp standing there with a confident look on his face.

"Morning Klahadore," said Usopp.

"What do you want?" asked Kuro, "Not going to sneak through the window like always?"

"Nope," said Usopp, "I wanted to deliver a message before going to talk with Kaya today."

"I will deliver your message," said Kuro coldly, "now vacate this premises."

"My message isn't for Kaya," said Usopp, "it's for you."

"I can't imagine anything you have to say concerning me," said Kuro as he prepared to slam the door in the sharpshooter's face.

"Wait!" said Usopp, "It's just that I had some friends come by and they told me they found some stray cats. They told me that they had dealt with them, but wanted me to ask you if you know who they belonged to. They were such vicious felines with nice black coats too."

This comment made Kuro freeze. He was no idiot, he knew that there was a double meaning behind Usopp's message and he saw the significance behind it. This changed things completely.

"…I see," said Kuro, "I'll look into it. But the mistress isn't feeling quite well today and will be resting. I shall tell her you came by though."

"Thanks," said Usopp, "I hope she gets better."

With that Usopp ran off, leaving the disguised pirate captain closing the mansion door silently.

' _That brat,_ ' he seethed mentally as he straightened his glasses, ' _those friends of his must be the reason my crew hasn't shown up. Not only that, but he knows who I am. I'll need to accelerate my plans now. I'll kill the girl tonight and dispose of the body before forging her will._ '

Nodding to himself, the former pirate captain went back to his cleaning, knowing that soon, this charade will be over.

xXsceneXx

That night, Kuro walked up to the door of Kaya's bedroom with a large box in his arms. Opening the door, he walked inside and locked the door behind him.

"Ah, Klahadore," said Kaya, "what's wrong? What is that box for?"

"Lady Kaya," said Kuro, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to hand in my resignation."

Quick as a flash, Kuro opened the box and donned its contents: his two sword-claw gauntlets, the Cat Claws. He moved to slit the girl's throat, but a lead bead shot through the window and slammed into his face. Only his glasses prevented the pirate captain from injury, but they were knocked off his face and broken into pieces from the shot. Before he could react, the door to the room was kicked in and a figure burst through the broken glass of the window.

"Sorry," said Usopp as he stood between the pirate and Kaya with his slingshot aimed at his face, "but your plans are foiled."

"Your plan worked great, Nojiko," said Zoro as he and the rest of the crew stood in the doorway.

"As expected of my sis," said Nami.

"Wh-who are you people?" asked Kaya.

"Remember my tales about being a brave warrior of the seas?" Usopp asked Kaya, getting a nod from the girl, "well, these guys are my crewmates that sailed with me through thick and thin."

"It doesn't matter," said Kuro, "you won't stop my plans. A pretend pirate has no chance of beating a real one!"

"Just shut up!" yelled Luffy as he hurled Kuro through the window and out onto the ground.

Zoro and Luffy jumped after the pirate, leaving Usopp and the others to guard Kaya. Usopp moved to the window and readied his weapon to snipe Kuro if needed, causing the girl to look at he friend in wonder.

"Usopp," she said in a soft voice that didn't go unnoticed by Nami.

"Don't worry," said the Navigator, "Usopp may act cowardly, but when it comes down to it, he will lay down his life for those who are precious to him."

Looking at her friend's serious face as he watched the pirates fight, Kaya was inclined to believe her.

xXsceneXx

Climbing to his feet as Luffy and Zoro landed in front him, Kuro unconsciously moved to adjust his glasses, before remembering that they had been shattered by Usopp's attack.

"Impudent brats," said Kuro as he brandished his Cat Claws, "you're out of your league."

Kuro then vanished in a flash, but Luffy swung out his arm and knocked Kuro to the ground as he moved with his stealth walk.

"Impossible," said the former pirate as he wiped some blood of his lip from where Luffy had punched him.

"You know," said Zoro as he put Wado in his mouth, "you were right earlier. A pretend pirate can't hope to beat a real one."

"And a coward like you," said Luffy, "can never call yourself a real pirate."

"How dare you," growled Kuro, "I am Kuro of the Hundred Plans! I slaughtered my enemies and was a feared warrior."

"The key point being, 'was,'" smirked Luffy, "you left it all behind because you didn't have the stomach to live life on the run from the marines. Compared to us, you're the pretend pirate."

"Who do you think you are," growled Kuro.

"Monkey D. Luffy," said Luffy, "wanted dead or alive, 70,000,000 berries."

"Roronoa Zoro," said Zoro, "wanted dead or alive, 50,000,000 berries."

Kuro's eyes widened at the amount of their bounties, they were larger than his in fact, but he steeled his features and readied his weapons, "Regardless. My plan will not fail."

Kuro shot at Luffy with his Cat Claws, but the swordsman first mate of the Strawhats moved between them and blocked the attack with his swords, before entering a fierce dual of blades with the former captain.

"You are skilled with those blades of yours," said Kuro before vanishing with his stealth walk and appearing behind Zoro, "but skill won't be enough."

As Kuro moved to impale the swordsman, Zoro's younger body not quite being fast enough to react in time, he was suddenly smashed to the ground by a powerful blow. Looking up, he saw the rubber captain's arm snapping back from throwing the punch. Using this momentary distraction, Zoro swung a Haki infused katana and shattered the blades of Kuro's Cat Claws with a single stroke.

Kuro snarled at the pirates, but a lead pellet struck him in the back of his head, causing him to turn around in shock and pain to see Usopp aiming his slingshot at him with a projectile loaded.

" _Hissatsu: Kayaku Boshi!_ " declared Usopp as he released the shot and sent the projectile flying straight into Kuro's face, where it exploded violently, sending the former Pirate flying back until he landed on the ground unconscious.

"Nice shot, Usopp!" said Luffy.

"Let's tie him up for now and call the marines before we leave in the morning," said Ussop.

"You're leaving?" said Kaya in surprise, "Why?"

"Kaya," said Usopp, "I'm going to go to sea to become a brave warrior like my father, and my captain here is going to need my help."

"B-but,"

"Kaya," interrupted Usopp, "I have to do this. I'll miss you, but I'll be back one day and I'll be the great warrior I've always lied about being!"

Kaya smiled and wiped away her tears, "I know you will."

xXsceneXx

The Strawhats spent the night in the mansion at Kaya's request. She said it was a thank you for saving her life despite them being strangers. The next morning, the pirates headed to the bay and found Kaya there with her butler Merry and another old member of the Strawhat Crew.

"That's…" said Luffy wistfully.

"Everyone," said Kaya with a smile, "I wanted to give you all something and after hearing from Usopp that all you had was a little dingy to sail in, so I thought I'd give you this."

"This is the Going Merry," said Merry, "it's a ship I designed myself and I think its fitting that it would be used by a crew that saved my mistress."

"Thank you," said Nami sincerely, "we promise we'll take good care of her."

"I'd expect nothing less," said Merry with a smile.

As the crew loaded up their things, Luffy placed a hand on the hull with a nostalgic smile, "Welcome back, Merry."

As he turned to help the others, he spotted a misty figure standing on his spot on the figurehead. The figure simply doffed an invisible hat before vanishing, making Luffy smile. The Going Merry was back with them as well.

 

 


	10. Rescuing the Hunters

It was a calm sunny day in the East Blue and the Straw Hat Pirates were spending it in different ways. Luffy and Zoro were exercising on the deck, Luffy by practicing punches and kicks with weights strapped to his body, and Zoro by swinging around a pole with an insane amount of weights on it while holding barbell between his teeth. The two members of the monster trio wanted to get their bodies back into shape as soon as possible. Zoro's inability to react in time to avoid Kuro's attack in their last fight showed them that while they may have their old memories and skills, but their bodies weren't up to par to use them to their fullest potential.

While they were doing this, Nami was watering a small garden section that she had put on the ship's upper deck where she had planted several tangerine seeds from Bell-mère's orchard back at her home. She was determined to grow the same grove she had had last time, but knew that because they had gone to her home early, she couldn't take the mature bushes like last time, and was forced to grow them from scratch, but she didn't mind. Gardening helped her relax.

On the side, Usopp was working on several knew shots for his slingshot and also on Nami's Clima-Tact staff. Knowing this time that she didn't want a bunch of party tricks, he was removing most of those functions and making more features that would allow her to fight harder with it. He would upgrade it further when they got dials from Skypiea, but this would do for now. Putting aside his tools, he added some powder to a formula he was working on for a new shot for his weapon, making sure the solution was heated correctly as well.

Nojiko watched all of this while working on her own fighting style. Usopp had given her two knives and holsters for her to hide under her clothes and she had begun working on learning to use them. She had taken to wearing longer sleeved outfits to hide the holsters on her arms and Usopp had begun work on holsters for other parts of her body as well as ones that would allow her to make blades extend from the toe of her boots. She was amazed how this crew worked so well together, as if they had known each other for years, but that had to be impossible, as Nami would stop in once in a while to drop off the cash, and if she knew them, why didn't she stop Arlong earlier?

Shaking the thoughts away, she sheathed her knives and turned toward Nami as the ship's navigator finished watering the tangerines with a special fertilizer Usopp had given her.

"So sis," said Nojiko, "where exactly are we going next? Going to pick up another crew member that got separated?"

She had said that last bit in a joking manor, but sweatdropped as Nami looked somewhat sheepish.

"Well actually…" said Nami.

"You're kidding?" said Nojiko, "How many more are there?"

"Well," grunted Luffy from where he was doing his forms, "after we get our cook, we'll head to the Grand Line where we'll pick up our Doctor, Archeologist, Shipwright, and Musician, along with whoever else wants to come with us."

"How did all of you get separated?" asked Nojiko, "And how and when did you all meet?"

"That's…complicated," said Nami before Luffy could blurt it out, "we'll tell you when more of the crew is together."

"You guys have so many secrets," said Nojiko with a frown, "you can't even tell your older sister, Nami?"

"It's complicated," said Nami again, "but I promise we'll tell everyone when the time comes."

Nojiko sighed, but let the matter drop, "So where are we headed next?"

"The only place to get a good cook on the sea," said Usopp, "the floating restaurant Baratie. The place where the cooks can fight, So we'd better be ready for a fight if necessary."

"Are we expecting a fight?" asked Nojiko.

"You never know," said Nami, "we are wanted after all."

As Nojiko mused this, Zoro put down his weights and looked out across the sea at a large rock in the distance before smirking.

"Oi, Nami," he said, "let's head toward that rock there. I think someone is there."

Nami looked at him before nodding and heading to change the heading with the steering stick, leaving Nojiko somewhat confused.

"How could you know that?" asked Nojiko, "Is there another old crewmate there?"

"Not this time," said Zoro.

"Then how do you know?" asked Nojiko.

"Haki," said Zoro. Seeing that Nojiko was still confused, he decided to elaborate, "Haki can be seen as the power of will and develops in three forms. The first, which I used is Observation Haki, which allows a person to sense the intent and aura of a being. I sensed the presence of some old friends of mine on the rock, so we're heading over."

"What about the other two types?" asked Nojiko.

"The second type is Armament Haki," said Zoro, "it allows you to coat yourself in an invisible armor to protect yourself and increase your strength. You can even infuse it into objects or your body to make them stronger. Armament Haki can also bypass Devil Fruit defenses. The third one can't be learned, only inherited at birth. That is Conqueror's Haki, and it gives you the power to dominate the wills of others."

"Why haven't I heard of it before?" asked Nojiko.

"Haki isn't that common a power outside of the Grand Line," said Zoro, "but it would be a good thing for the crew to learn."

"Yeah," said Luffy as he thought of Akainu, "it could save your life one day."

"How would I learn it?" asked Nojiko.

"That'll have to wait," said Nami as the ship pulled up to the small island, "those two guys look to be in bad shape."

And indeed they weren't. On the rock were two men with swords at their sides, both of them looking very ill, with one lying on the rocky surface and the other slumped next to him.

"Johnny, Yosaku!" yelled Zoro.

"Brother Zoro?" groaned one of the men, who had black hair and wore sunglasses.

"You look like you're in bad shape," said Zoro.

"It's the end for us," the man moaned, "Yosaku is already on his last ropes. We're finished. Please bury us at sea with our swords."

"Don't be so dramatic," sighed Nami.

"How dare you make light of the dying!" snapped Johnny weakly, "We've had a good run, but now it's over."

"It's just scurvy," sighed Nami, "Luffy, Usopp, get me some juice from the limes in storage."

As the captain and sniper of the crew rushed off to juice the limes, the sunglasses wearing swordsman weakly turned toward the orange haired navigator.

"Scurvy?" he asked, somewhat confused.

"It's a disease caused by malnutrition and lack of proper vitamins in a regular diet," explained Nami, "if we get some proper vitamins into him he should begin to recover, but you'll need to make sure he gets proper meals after this, or it will only come back."

Usopp and Luffy then returned with two mugs of juice that they had squeezed and began to feed it to the two sickly swordsmen. Once the mugs were drained, the two swordsmen leapt to their feet like they had been miraculously healed and began dancing around.

"A hair's breadth from death!" cried the two swordsmen as they danced around.

"YOU'RE NOT WELL ENOUGH TO DANCE AROUND!" yelled Nami in irritation.

Ignoring her, the two swordsmen composed themselves and faced the crew.

"Introduction time," said Johnny.

"We're Yosaku and Johnny," said Yosaku, a swordsman with a buzz cut and a sort of headgear on his head, "freelance bounty hunters and former companions of brother Zoro here."

"We owe you guys our lives," said Johnny, "and we never got your names."

"It was no trouble," said Luffy, "and as for names, I'm Monkey D. Luffy and this is Nami, our navigator, Usopp, our sniper, Nojiko, our scout and tactician, and Zoro's our first mate."

Luffy pointed to each member in turn with them giving a small wave as they were named. Nojiko noted that she had been given another position to think about as well, but decided to ask later.

"So what kind of crew are you guys?" asked Yosaku.

"We're a pirate crew," said Luffy, "though we haven't got around to raising our flag yet."

"Don't worry," said Usopp, "I'm just about done painting it. Just let it dry and we can put it up."

The two bounty hunters were silent for a moment before they glanced at the crew and shook their heads.

"Wait," said Johnny, "you guys are pirates?"

"Yup!" said Luffy with a smile.

"Seriously?" asked Yosaku nervously.

"That's right," said Luffy, "we even have bounties to prove it."

The rubber captain pulled out the crew's wanted posters and handed them to the two swordsmen for them to look at. A second passed as the two men read the bounties and processed the amount of cash involved in the reward. The men slowly looked up at the crew, specifically the members featured in the posters and began to sweat slightly.

"You guys will let us live, right?" said Yosaku nervously.

"Y-yeah," said Johnny, "I mean it's not like we're going to try and claim your bounties, right?"

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "you guys are Zoro's friends, right? So you're our friends too."

The two bounty hunters let out sighs of relief at this and visibly relaxed before turning to Zoro.

"So Zoro," said Johnny, "how did you become a pirate anyway?"

"Yeah," said Yosaku, "weren't you a renowned Pirate Hunter?"

"It's complicated," said Zoro, "but to put it simply, I owed this idiot a favor and we travel together to find our dreams."

"So where are you guys headed next?" asked Johnny.

"Well," said Nami, "we're headed to the Baratie to recruit our chef so we can avoid problems like you just faced with your diet."

"The Baratie?" said Yosaku, "Brother Zoro, we've been listening around, and we've heard that  _he_  has been heard to be in that area."

"I know," said Zoro seriously, surprising the two bounty hunters, "that's another reason I'm heading over that way."

"If you guys want to hitch a ride, then feel free," said Nami, "we can drop you guys off there if you want, or we can take you all the way to Lougetown."

"I guess we can stick around a bit longer," said Yosaku, "I'd like to know more about Brother Zoro's adventures and how he became a pirate."

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "then we'd better get our flag flying. We have places to get to."

 

 


	11. Hors d'oeuvre

"This is it," said Johnny, "the floating restaurant Baratie."

The Strawhats ship, had pulled to a stop in front of a large ship that resembled a fish floating on the water. This was the restaurant Baratie, a restaurant made from a ship that was anchored in the middle of the water, providing fine dining to the passing sailor.

"Impressive," said Nojiko, "and we're here to find a chef?"

Nami nodded, "There's no better place to find a chef on the high seas."

"Wait," said Nojiko, "isn't that a Navy ship?"

The group turned and there indeed was a Navy ship docked at the restaurant with its flags flying. To make matters worse, a blond officer was walking onto the deck facing them.

"You there," said the Marine, "state your business here."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" called out Luffy, "We're here to recruit our chef for our crew."

"'Straw Hat' Luffy," said the man in surprise before smirking, "you don't look like much. I'll probably get promoted if I bring you criminals in. All guns fire on that ship!"

"But Lieutenant Fullbody," said an officer, "didn't you have a date today?"

"Right," said the now named Fullbody, "blow that ship out of the water, but don't hit the restaurant. My date and I want to have a good time."

"Yes sir!" said the officer, "Enjoy yourself, sir!"

Fullbody walked off the deck as the officers moved to aim their cannons at the Going Merry.

"Um guys?" asked Nojiko as she watched them load cannonballs into the artillery, "what are we going to do?"

"I wouldn't worry," said Nami as Zoro and Luffy stepped forward, "these guys got it. Just don't damage the restaurant!"

"Yeah yeah," said Zoro as he unsheathed Wado and held it ready.

"Fire!" yelled the marines as they fired their cannons at the Going Merry.

Luffy and Zoro just smirked and readied themselves. As the cannonballs flew at them, Zoro channeled Haki into Wado and sliced through the shells, causing them to explode harmlessly away from the ship while Luffy caught them and used his rubber body to launch them back at the ship with greater speed. Soon the ship was a sinking wreck, leaving the straw hats free to head to the Baratie.

xXsceneXx

When the crew walked into the Baratie, they were treated to the sight of an irate blond Sous-chef holding the lieutenant that had threatened them up by the throat. There was a shattered table next to them and the lieutenant was covered in blood and bruises.

"If you don't like the food here, then leave," said Sanji coldly as he tossed the man to the deck, "but those who waste food on the high seas, don't live very long."

"Sanji!" exclaimed Luffy.

"Wha…Luffy?" asked Sanji as he looked around, "What's going on?"

"We'll explain later, though you'll probably not understand," smirked Zoro.

"OI!" growled Sanji, "At least my sense of direction is better than yours, shitty-marimo!"

"Ero-cook!" growled Zoro as the two of them smashed heads together before the two of them separated with a smirk on their faces.

"Good to see you again, you third-rate swordsman," said Sanji as he extended his hand.

"Same to you, bastard chef," said Zoro as the two members of the Monster Trio clasped hands in brotherhood.

"So since we're here," said Sanji, "may I get you a table?"

xXsceneXx

Sanji set up the Straw Hat pirates with a large table and brought them a small feast from the kitchens, cooked up by his own hands using some techniques he learned from the Attack Cuisine recipes, before sitting at the table with his crew to catch up.

"So we're back here?" asked Sanji, "And it looks like you have a new beauty on the crew."

As he said this last part, he knelt down on one knee in front of Nojiko and pulled a rose out of…somewhere.

"May I say that your beauty is as great as the Red Line itself," he said before Nami grabbed his ear and twisted it painfully, "GAH!"

"Don't even think about touching my sister," said Nami in a sickly sweet voice.

"Hai, Nami-swan!" said Sanji weakly, causing the Navigator to release him.

"This food is pretty good," said Nojiko as she took a bite.

"Why thank you," said Sanji, "I learned the recipe after escaping from hell."

"…ok," said Nojiko hesitantly.

"Oi, Sanji!" yelled one of the waiters, "Get off your ass and get back to work!"

"Keep your apron on!" Sanji yelled back as he got up, "I'll be joining you guys when I finish up here."

Suddenly, the doors of the restaurant were kicked open and a soaking wet, gaunt figure dragged himself inside and plopped down on a chair.

"Oi, waiter," rasped the man, "give me some food."

A large man wearing a chef's apron walked up with a falsely cheery smile, "And how are you going to pay, good sir?"

The gaunt man smirked and pointed a flintlock at the waiter's head, "You take lead?"

While most men would be intimidated, this waiter was also one of the chefs at the Baratie, working as a waiter due to being short on staff, and the chefs at the Baratie knew how to fight back, so when the pistol was pointed at his forehead, the chef, Patty, raised his meaty arms and slammed the gaunt man into the deck, shattering the chair he was in and upsetting the table.

"If you don't have the money then get out," said Patty as he moved to pick up the downed man.

"Wait."

Everyone in the restaurant froze and turned to Luffy, who had just spoken up. The rubber captain got out of his seat and walked over to the fallen man.

"We'll pay for his meal," said Luffy.

The diners began to whisper at that statement.

"Does that kid know what he's doing?"

"That's Gin of the Krieg Pirates."

"It would be better just to let him die."

"I don't want your charity," growled Gin from the ground.

"It's not charity," said Luffy with a smile, "you're gonna join my crew."

"Sorry kid," scoffed Gin, "I already have a captain, and I don't think I'll be leaving him."

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "I think you will, but we'll feed you anyway."

Zoro nodded, "There's nothing worse than starving at sea."

"Besides," said Nami, "you're not eating for free. You'll pay us back one way or another, so just shut up and dig in."

Gin wanted to protest, but a growl from the empty pit of his stomach made him decide to swallow his pride and pull himself into a chair and eat some of the food at the table. As he took a bite, he felt energy and vitality flow into him. Tears flowed from his face as he realized that it was the kindness of these people that allowed him to survive.

"Than you," he said softly as he continued to eat.

xXsceneXx

After eating his fill, Gin thanked them again for the meal and set sail on one of the Merry's Life Rafts. The Straw Hats stuck around for a few more days, the core crew knowing that important events would happen soon, paying for their meals and chatting with Sanji. This continued until the restaurant received a surprise visit from Gin as he walked in, half carrying a man wearing a brown trench coat.

**To be continued…**

 

 


	12. A Duel à la mode

"Good to see you again, Gin," said Luffy with a smile as the tired pirate walked through the doors, "I knew we'd see you again."

"You guys," said Gin in surprise before focusing on the chefs, "we need your help."

"Why should we help you?" asked Carne, one of the chefs.

"Please," rasped the large man in the coat, "I have treasure, money. My crew needs food. We've gone days without eating, I simply need food for a hundred men. I'll pay whatever price you ask."

"Like hell we'll cook our food for scum like you," said Patty as he cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah," said Carne, "so get lost."

"Food for a hundred," said Sanji, "coming up."

"Sanji, are you insane?" asked Patty.

"We can't possibly feed these pirates!" said Carne.

"We feed customers," said Sanji as he lit his cigarette and took a drag, "and anyone who is hungry is a customer."

"But…" protested Patty.

"Shut up you idiots," growled the Head Chef as he walked out with a large sack of food, "Sanji's right. In this restaurant, anyone that's hungry is a customer, or did you forget what I told you when I hired you two?"

"Chef Zeff!" exclaimed the two chefs.

"Zeff," rasped the man in the coat, "you're Red Leg Zeff."

"What of it?" asked Zeff as he handed over the food.

"You," said the large man as he pulled out a meal and began to eat, "you've been to that sea. The Grand Line."

Tossing aside the bowl once he was finished, the man stood tall and faced Zeff, "I want your Log Book. The accounts of what you faced in that sea. I intend to go back and find that treasure, and since my normal ship is somewhat worse for wear, I'll take this restaurant as my new flagship!"

"Don Krieg," exclaimed Gin, "you promised that we would leave these people unharmed."

"That was then and this is now," said Kreig, "I'm gonna be Pirate King and none of you will stop me!"

"Then we've got a problem, bub," said Patty as he walked over to a cabinet, "you want this restaurant that we've worked to protect, then you'll have to go through us, the fighting chefs of the Baratie! I hope you're hungry, 'cause here's DESSERT!"

Patty pulled out a lobster themed Bazooka and aimed it at the now named Kreig, before pulling the trigger, " _Shokuatari Meatball!_ "

A large cannonball shot out of the mouth of the bazooka that exploded when it slammed into Kreig, who took the attack head on without flinching.

"That'll teach him," said Patty as he tossed the bazooka aside and turned around.

Big mistake.

"Was that supposed to be Dessert?" sneered Kreig's voice from the smoke, "Cause that tasted disgusting."

The smoke cleared and revealed Don Kreig standing there with a rather bored expression, though his suit and coat was in tatters with gold metal showing through. With a quick motion, Kreig ripped off the tatters of his suit top to reveal a shining suit of armor that covered his torso.

"With my wootz steel armor and my diamond fists, you chefs will be crushed under my boot," said Kreig as he brandished his diamond gauntlets.

"Like hell," said Patty as he and the other chefs pulled out their knives and brandished them at the Pirate Admiral.

"HA," scoffed Kreig as he looked at the army of fighting chefs, "you've brought your knives to a gunfight."

Panels on Kreig's armor opened up to reveal dozens of guns that were leveled at the chefs. Pulling out two double-barreled pistols, he aimed at his targets and got into a stance.

"Perish!" yelled Kreig as he pulled the trigger, unleashing a hail of lead upon the chefs.

The chefs closed their eyes, expecting to be turned into Swiss cheese, but were surprised when the heard the clang of lead hitting steel and felt no pain. Opening their eyes, they saw the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates standing in front of them, holding his three swords.

"You guys ok?" asked Zoro.

"He deflected the bullets?" said Kreig in shock, but before he could say any more, a soaking wet pirate ran inside.

"Don!" he yelled, "Bad news! Our ship! It was destroyed!"'

"WHAT?!" yelled Kreig as he rushed outside with the Straw Hats and the chefs following in pursuit.

When they exited the restaurant, the members of the group that hadn't come from the future saw a sight that made them pale. A man wearing a black cloak and a feathered hat was swinging a large black Zanbatō with a guard resembling an ornate cross. As the man sheathed the massive blade on his back, a large galleon he had been facing split in two and sunk beneath the waves, as if it were a melon and a giant had taken an invisible knife to it.

"My ship," said Krieg in shock, "you there! Why did you sink my flagship?"

The man turned around and regarded Kreig with gold eyes that bore the intensity of a hawk's gaze.

"Because I felt like it."

xXsceneXx

"Brother Zoro," said Johnny, "that guy, he's…"

"I know," said Zoro, "Hawkeye Mihawk, the strongest swordsman in the world. The one I shall surpass."

"Just don't get all cut up this time," said Sanji.

"Shut up, shitty cook!" growled Zoro.

The Strawhats watched as Mihawk regarded the Pirate Admiral coolly before turning to head toward a small boat fashioned like a coffin. It seemed he had little interest in the goings on here and simply felt the need to sink the Don's ship.

"You bastard!" yelled Krieg as he revealed his guns again, "You'll pay for that!"

Kreig began firing a barrage of bullets at the swordsman responsible for the destruction of his ship, but that didn't faze the man. Mihawk simply drew his sword and flicked it to his side with one quick movement, deflecting the bullets with the wind from his slash.

"You bore me," said Mihawk as he sheathed his blade, "I suggest you stop before you get hurt."

"HAWKEYE!" yelled Zoro as he walked forward.

"Oh?" asked Mihawk, "And who are you supposed to be?"

"Roronoa Zoro," said Zoro as he took his bandanna off his arm and tied it around his head, "the man who's going to surpass you and take the title of World's Strongest."

"Are you challenging me?" asked Mihawk as he raised an eyebrow.

"I am," said Zoro with a smirk.

Mihawk narrowed his eyes as he regarded the swordsman in front of him. He had faced off against many men who prided themselves on the skills of their swords, and all fell short when they turned their blades against him, but this man felt different. He had an aura of strength about him, as if he had faced death and endured hell while still emerging to fight again. But that didn't mean he was ready to truly face him.

"Interesting," said Mihawk, "then I shall oblige you."

Mihawk reached for the cross around his neck and tugged on it to reveal a hidden dagger. Zoro frowned at the action, knowing that this meant Mihawk wasn't taking him seriously yet. No matter, Zoro would give him reason to draw the Black Blade. Placing Wado in his mouth Zoro got into a stance to prepare for his attack.

Gripping his swords, he rushed at Mihawk, leaping across the water by hopping on pieces of wood left from the wreckage of the galleon Mihawk sank, " _ONI…_ "

Mihawk analyzed the attack in an instant and thrust his dagger toward the point where the blades would cross, intending to stop Zoro's attack cold. However, Zoro had been through this already and broke his stride for a second, adjusting his target to avoid this defense.

" _GIRI!_ " finished Zoro as he attacked with his three katanas.

There was a clang of steel hitting steel and Mihawk's knife was sent spinning out of his hand, landing on the deck next to Luffy. Zoro then exited his stance and took Wado out of his mouth, surprising Mihawk.

"Oh?" he said, "Do you think you've won now that you've disarmed me, boy?"

"Of course not," said Zoro, "I just have no interest fighting you at anything but your best. So until you draw Yoru, I won't raise my blades against you."

Mihawk was silent for a moment before he began to laugh, "Wahahahahaha. To think I would find a swordsman like you on this sea. Yes, I believe it would be appropriate to fight you at my best. Let us see your resolve."

Reaching behind him, Mihawk drew his black blade, Yoru and leveled it in a stance of his own. Zoro placed Wado back in his mouth and entered his Santoryu stance as well, channeling Haki to his swords, causing the blades to turn black which caused Mihawk to raise an eyebrow in surprise before smirking. This would certainly be an interesting fight.

The two swordsmen faced each other, unmoving, before shooting at each other and clashing their blades together. Zoro may have had more experience due to time travel, but his body was still not at the level it was when he was sent back, so Mihawk's powerful strike sent Zoro flying backwards. The former Pirate Hunter didn't let that stop him and got into another stance while in midair.

" _Santoryu: Senhachiju Pound Ho!_ " yelled Zoro as he swung his swords, sending a spiraling vortex of air blades flying at Mihawk before slamming into the hull of the remains of Kreig's galleon.

Zoro's attack slammed into Mihawk's blade, sending the master swordsman skidding back before he was able to gain footing and disperse the attack with a swing of his massive blade. Mihawk then swung his blade, sending a green slash flying through the air towards Zoro that parted the sea as it cut through it. Zoro managed to twist out of the way, allowing the slash to split the wreckage he was on, before swinging his swords.

" _Santoryu: Kokujo: O Tatsumaki!_ " yelled Zoro, swinging his swords to create a twister of slashes that sucked in the water as it moved toward Mihawk, turning it into a massive waterspout of death.

The World's Strongest Swordsman faced down the incoming cyclone calmly while reading his blade. With a powerful slash, Mihawk cut through the twister, causing it to dispel violently. Zoro didn't give him a chance to recover though, as he was already spinning his swords in preparation for his next attack.

" _Santoryu Ogi: Ichidai Sanzen Daisen Sekai!_ " yelled Zoro as he sent several slashes at Mihawk that cut through the water and air as they passed through them.

Mihawk narrowed his eyes as the slashes streaked toward him, swinging his sword to intercept them, but due to their speed, he wasn't able to fully block them and received a slash across his cheek as a result.

"Heh," smirked Zoro, "looks like first blood is mine, Hawk Eye."

"Indeed," said Mihawk, "it's been a while since a swordsman has pushed me this far. Let us continue and see where it takes us."

"Gladly," said Zoro as he readied his blades and shot at Mihawk.

The two swordsmen clashed their blades together over and over, the shockwaves from their attacks causing the sea to explode around them. Sparks flew from their blades as their Haki infused weapons clashed again and again. From the sidelines, the ones watching were shocked at the ferocity of this duel.

"Those two are monsters," gasped Carne.

"Watch this fight and remember boys," said Zeff in a serious tone to his chefs, "this is a clash between masters of the blade. A fight like this happens once in a lifetime, so remember it and don't miss a second."

"Brother Zoro is this strong?" said Yosaku in awe.

"He's fighting Hawk Eye and holding his own," nodded Johnny.

"Zoro's strong alright," nodded Usopp, "but right now, his body isn't as strong as he'd like. Otherwise, this fight would be going in a different direction entirely."

Johnny and Yosaku were speechless as they watched the two titans clash their blades once more.

"You are skilled," said Mihawk as he and Zoro locked blades, causing the ocean to explode around them.

"Yeah," grunted Zoro as he pushed back Mihawk's Yoru, "but I'm not really at my best right now. Give it a few months and I'll be back to where I was."

"Oh?" said Mihawk in an amused tone as he broke the clash and sent Zoro skidding back, "And why is that?"

"It's complicated," said Zoro, "but due to some events I lost a lot of the progress I made in my training, and need to build myself back to that level again."

"In that case," said Mihawk, "come at me with your best and we shall see if you are ready to take my crown."

"Gladly," said Zoro as he focused Haki not only to his blades, but to his body as well, causing his skin to turn black as black flames formed on his body, " _Kiki Kyutoryu: Asura!_ "

As the flames danced about his body, two more sets of arms manifested on his body holding Katanas, while two more heads appeared as well with copies of Wado in their mouths. Mihawk raised an eyebrow at the transformation before focusing Haki into his own sword, causing black flames to erupt on the blade of his Yoru. Getting into their stances, the two swordsmen prepared to match their blades with their final move.

" ** _Asura,_** " said Zoro as he began to rush at Mihawk before leaping at him, twisting his body so his blades spin like a drill, " ** _UGUI!_** "

As Zoro shot at Mihawk, the master swordsman readied his blade and sliced forward as Zoro passed him. When the two of them skidded to a stop, everything was still for a moment as Zoro's Asura technique faded away and the Haki faded from their blades and bodies. Suddenly, the blades of the katanas in Zoro's hands shattered like glass while cuts opened up on his torso. Surprisingly, a slash formed across Mihawk's face while a chip of his blade fell to the ground and the sheath for his cross blade fell to the ground as the cord had been cut.

"Looks like I lost," said Zoro with a smirk as he dropped the remains of his broken blades and sheathed Wado before turning and exposing his front to Mihawk with his arms spread.

"What are you doing?" asked Mihawk.

"Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame," said Zoro as he said last time.

Mihawk smirked, "Indeed."

Zoro closed his eyes as he waited for Mihawk to cut him open like last time, giving him what would become his biggest scar. But instead of feeling pain, he felt a weight placed around his neck. Opening his eyes, he saw that Mihawk had placed the sheath of his cross blade around his neck, the cord tied in a knot to keep it together.

Stepping back, Mihawk smiled and nodded toward the blade stuck in the deck, "Train and grow strong, Roronoa Zoro," he said, "find your limits and push past them. When you are ready, we shall meet again and we'll finish our duel and you will return that blade to me."

With that, Mihawk got into his coffin boat and sailed away for the open sea.

" _Well Red-Hair,_ " he mused, " _it seems we both have a protégé now. Let us watch them grow, and see if they have what it takes to surpass us._ "

 

 


	13. Entrée

The Krieg Pirates watched the end of the battle between the two master swordsmen with awe and watched as Zoro limped over to Luffy's side and pulled the dagger out from the deck, placing it back in the sheath around his neck.

"So," said Luffy, "after seeing the strength of my First Mate, do you still want to take this restaurant knowing we'd be protecting it?"

This caused the Krieg pirates to take a step back. They would be fighting these people? If the First Mate was strong enough to fight on a Shichibukai's level when said First Mate wasn't even at his best.

"Oi," growled Krieg as he glared at his crew, "my crew is not a bunch of cowardly worms. If you want to leave, then get out."

"Um," said one crewmember, "I might want to…"

*BANG*

The crewmember that just spoke fell to the ground dead from a bullet hole in his head while Krieg lowered a smoking flintlock, while the crew looked on in horror.

"Anyone else?" asked Krieg, "No? Good. Now, take down this trash! Pearl, Gin, take out these pirates. The rest of you, seize my new ship!"

"YES SIR!" yelled the pirates.

A large man wearing pear adorned iron shields on his body marched forward to face the Straw Hats, "I am the Commander of the Krieg Pirates' Second Unit, Pearl the Iron Wall! I will be your opponent. I have never once bled in battle, so your chances of beating me are ZERO!"

"Funny," said Zoro, "you don't seem that tough to me."

"Out of the way, shitty-marimo," said Sanji as he blew out a cloud of smoke, "I have a score to settle with pearl-brain here."

"Oh?" asked Pearl, "I don't believe we've met."

"The name's Sanji," said Sanji as he took a drag from his cigarette, "sous-chef of the floating restaurant Baratie. I won't let you crap-bastards set one foot inside."

"You think you can injure me?" laughed Pearl, "None have been able to breach my Iron Pearl Shields! A chef like you…GUH!"

Pearl's rant was cut off when Sanji spun and landed a powerful, Haki coated kick into the center of Pearl's shield, causing him to go skidding back. Luckily for the large man, he regained control before he ran out of deck and fell into the ocean. Unfortunately, the kick had been so powerful that it caused him to cough up a bit of blood.

"Wh-what's this?" gasped Pearl.

"Crap!" exclaimed another pirate, "He made Pearl bleed!"

"B-blood," stammered Pearl, "BLOOOOD!"

Suddenly white flames erupted on Pearl's shields as the armored man bashed them together and yelled hysterically.

"Great," said Zoro, "now he's on fire."

"Shut up," grumbled Sanji, "I can handle it."

"DIE!" yelled Pearl, " _Fire Pearl Daitokuten!_ "

Pearl threw several small pearls at the Baratie that had been ignited by his flames, turning them into mini fireballs. As the Fire Pearls streaked toward the restaurant, the sous chef calmly stepped between them and the restaurant that was his pride. With several lightning fast kicks, Sanji deflected the pearls while using the air generated from the speed of his kicks to extinguish the flames.

"Your fire is nothing compared to the hell I endured," said Sanji, "in fact it's actually quite cold.  _Diable Jambe: Flanchet Strike!_ "

Sanji spun on his leg, using the friction to cause it to ignite, before slamming a Haki coated kick into the center of Pearl's body shield. The power and force behind the strike was great enough that, not only was the large shield on Pearl's front shattered, but the shield on his back was shattered as well when the force blasted through his body. The Invincible Pearl fell to the ground dead with blood dripping from his mouth due to the internal injuries he suffered from Sanji's kick.

"No way," gasped the Krieg Pirates, "they beat Pearl."

"Gin," growled Krieg, "don't just stand there. Slaughter these whelps and show them the might of the Krieg Armada!"

"But Don…" Gin said hesitantly.

"Are you going to disobey me?" asked Krieg threateningly.

Before Gin could answer, a mocking laugh cut through the tense silence.

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "what's wrong? Is the great Don Krieg so afraid to get his hand's dirty that he forces his subordinates to fight in his place?"

"What was that?" growled Krieg.

"You heard me," said Luffy, "I bet I could take you, so how about we settle this, captain to captain. Unless, of course, you're too scared and weak that you need to hide behind your crew instead of fighting me yourself."

"Brat," Krieg snarled as he revealed his guns, "you want to die so badly? I'll be happy to oblige you.  _Dangan!_ "

Krieg fired a barrage of bullets at the young captain, but Luffy simply stood firm, allowing the bullets to hit his body, using his rubber nature to bounce them right back, forcing the Don to have to shield himself from his own weapons.

"Sorry," said Luffy, "but that won't work."

"I see," said Krieg, "so you've eaten a Devil Fruit."

"Yup," said Luffy, "I ate the Gum Gum Fruit and became rubber."

"Well then," said Krieg as he removed one of his shoulder plates, "then I'll have to switch ammo."

Aiming the plate at Luffy, slots slid open to reveal a chain gun array, " _Needle Machine Gun!_ "

Krieg fired a barrage of spikes at Luffy from his shoulder plate, but, the Strawhat captain simply closed his eyes. The pirates watching the fight were shocked when Luffy began to easily dodge the spikes shooting at him, flowing around them like a leaf in the wind.

" _Gum Gum: Pistol!_ " yelled Luffy as he shot his fist forward at Kreig's armored plate.

When Luffy's punch slammed into Krieg's Needle Gun, the Captain's powerful fist shattered the Wootz Steel plate, like it was mere ceramic. The Don staggered back from the Force of the strike, and pulled out a spiked cloak that he wrapped around his form.

"So you can throw a punch," spat Krieg, "that won't help if you can't hit me!"

"LIKE THAT WILL HELP!" yelled Luffy as he ran forward and punched through the cape, using a thin layer of Haki to protect his skin.

"Guh!" gasped Krieg as he was sent tumbling backwards from the force of the blow, "Damn you. I'll end this now!"

Krieg pulled on a gas mask and pulled his remaining shoulder plate off his armor, aiming it at Luffy.

"Crap!" said the pirates as they scrambled for their gas masks, "It's Don's Poison Gas Bomb!"

"I won't let you!" shouted Luffy as he shot forward and buried his fist into the shoulder plate, damaging the mechanism and causing the hidden cannon to misfire, blowing the plate to pieces along with the bomb.

"Gah!" yelled Krieg as he clutched his hand that was burnt from the misfire.

"I'm not done!" yelled Luffy as he shot forward, " _Gum Gum Gattling!_ "

Luffy slammed powerful punches into the remaining parts of Krieg's armor, shattering the Wootz Steel like glass. The Pirate Captain then faced the Pirate Don with a stony look on his face.

"You've lost," said Luffy.

"NO!" yelled Krieg, "I AM DON KRIEG THE PIRATE ADMIRAL! I WILL NOT BE BEATEN!"

Kreig pulled out a spiked ball attached to a chain, but Luffy quickly activated Gear Second to get in close while stretching his arm back and enhancing it with Haki.

" _Gum Gum,_ " said Luffy as the power in his arm caused flames to ignite on it, " ** _RED HAWK!_** "

Luffy slammed his flaming fist into Krieg's torso, causing the Pirate Don to cough up blood as the flames blasted through him with the force behind the punch caused him internal injuries. The Pirate Fleet Admiral, Don Krieg, fell to the ground dead.

"They beat Don Krieg," said the Krieg Pirates.

"Listen you lot," yelled Luffy, "you have two choices. Either you pack up and leave, or you try and fight us like your captain did. Your choice."

The Krieg pirates glanced at each other and bolted for the nearest lifeboats, getting the hell out of there as fast as they could. As Gin was about to follow, he was stopped when Luffy called out after him.

"Wait Gin!" said Luffy, "Our offer is still open though. You can come with us. Join my crew and be my nakama."

"Is that why you killed him?" asked Gin.

"Nah," said Luffy, "he was a dick, and he broke his word when he chose to attack the chefs here. This restaurant is under our protection now. But you're a nice guy. You have honor. You're the kind of guy I want to travel with and the kind of guy I want to watch my back when I become Pirate King."

"Heh," chuckled Gin, "you're really an odd one. You really think you can survive the Grand Line and the horrors that wait there? Our armada was decimated, and you are just a handful of kids."

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "we know we can do it, because we're not alone. We all have each other."

"You see," said Zoro, "we're not measured by our numbers. Our crew fights together. We are measured by our combined might, and that might can break down the Red Line itself."

"We're stronger because we have each other," said Nami.

"And that's what makes us nakama," said Usopp.

"Heh," chuckled Gin, "why the hell not? I could do worse than you lot."

"Great!" cheered Luffy, "We have our chef and a new nakama as well!"

"Chef?" asked Zeff from where he was watching.

"Yeah," said Luffy, "Sanji's joining our crew as well."

"You're going with them, Sanji?" asked Carne.

"Yup," said Sanji as he took a drag from his cigarette, "I'm going off to find my dream, the All Blue, and to find it I'm going to the Grand Line."

"Tch," said Zeff, "you think you can handle it, Little Eggplant? The Grand Line is like nothing you've ever seen before."

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think, Shitty Geezer," smirked Sanji, "I think I can handle anything the sea throws at me."

"Then get out of my sight," said Zeff, "go and follow your dreams, wherever it takes you. Just don't come crying back to me."

Sanji took his cigarette out of his mouth and put it out before bowing to Zeff, "Thank you for taking care of me all these years."

"Don't get all sappy with me, Little Eggplant," said Zeff, "you've still got a long way to go."

"Guess we'll be on our way too," said Johnny.

"The sea's waiting for us," said Yosaku.

"Why not come along?" asked Luffy.

"Eh?" said Yosaku in surprise, "You want us to come?"

"But we're Bounty Hunters," said Johnny.

"So was Zoro," said Luffy, "and he's my First Mate."

"But…" began Johnny.

"Just get on board," said Zoro, "I wouldn't mind having you two along and I could teach you guys a few things about your swords."

Johnny and Yosaku glanced at each other, "We're in, Brother Zoro," they said.

"Then let's set sail!" said Luffy with a smile, "We're off to the Grand Line! Next stop, Lougetown, the town of the beginning and the end!"

 

 


	14. Preparation for Departure

On the deck of the Going Merry, there was much activity going on. Zoro was watching his old partners and current students, Johnny and Yosaku as they went through several sword forms wearing weights on their limbs. He was determined to make competent swordsmen out of the two former bounty hunters so they would be ready for the perils of the Grand Line. It would be a long and hard road, but he was certain they would get there.

Meanwhile, Nami was watering her garden where she had begun cultivating her Tangerine trees, while she watched her sister practice forms with her knives. Nojiko was really improving her skills, even if she had yet to be in any fights, and Usopp was happy to help by providing her with inventions to help maximize her roll as their scout.

The final two members of the crew's Monster Trio weren't keeping idle either, far from it in fact. Sanji was currently using his footwork to build leg strength by juggling several of Zoro's weights with his legs like hacky-sacks. His captain was doing several different exercises while weights were tied to nearly every inch of his torso. His exercises consisted of speed and reflex drills where Gin attacked him with his cannonball tonfas and the rubber captain had to dodge. Considering the skill of the former Combat Commander of the Krieg Armada, this was quite the workout. The fact that it was good training for Gin as well was an added bonus.

Finally, Usopp, the sharpshooter of the Strawhat Pirates, was working to strengthen himself as well. While he couldn't re-create the Kabuto or Kuro Kabuto without Dials or Pop Green seeds, respectively, he was able to re-create the ammunition he used with the Kabuto. Fresh eggs and Tabasco stars were good for party tricks, but the enemies on both halves of the Grand Line would require more serious ammunition. Currently he had managed to create several of Kabuto's more powerful shots, and he was working to re-create more.

Checking her compass and map, Nami whistled sharply, bringing the training to a halt and causing the group to form up around a table on the deck where several maps were spread out.

"All right," said Nami, "we'll be arriving at the port in a few hours so we'll need to plan how we're gonna do this."

"Why do we need to plan?" asked Luffy as he took off his weights, "Can't we just go in and grab our things before we leave for the Grand Line?"

"BAKA!" yelled Nami as she whacked her captain over the head while unknowingly using Haki and making her attack actually hurt the rubber captain, "Half of our crew here have high level bounties on our heads and there happens to be a Marine base situated in the town! If we go strutting around like nothing's wrong, they're likely to call in reinforcements and throw us in Impel Down! No, we have to be cautious."

"I still need to grab two more swords," said Zoro, "and I need to get these two idiots some decent blades as well. Those nameless pieces of metal you use now won't cut it against the real fighters in the Grand Line."

"If that's what you think is best, Zoro-aniki," said Johnny.

"I have to get some supplies too," said Usopp, "not to mention some decent sniper goggles."

"And I need to stock up on food for the trip," said Sanji, "with the size of our crew, I'll need to stock up on ingredients. Luckily the Lougetown port has some decent fishermen that are willing to sell their catch."

"Fine fine," sighed Nami, "I guess I can be persuaded to loan you guys some berries to pay for your things."

"OH HELL NO!" yelled Zoro, "I am not borrowing any money from you Witch! Not with the insane amount of interest you charge!"

"Oh?" smirked Nami, "Then how do you expect to pay for those swords?"

Zoro ground his teeth at that. While it was true he got Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu for free, it was unlikely the shop owner would let him grab two more blades for the same price, or lack thereof.

"That's what I thought," said Nami, "but since we're nakama, this time I'll only make it a 100% interest rate."

"You're all heart," said Zoro sarcastically.

"Actually," said Yosaku, "Johnny and I still have some cash from bounties we picked up before meeting you guys, so we might be able to pay for our own swords."

"Oh," said Nami as she tried to not sound disappointed, "that's…good."

"I'd like to borrow money, Nami-san!" said Sanji.

"Of course," said Nami as her cheer returned, "at 300% interest of course."

"HAI, Nami-swan!" said Sanji with hearts in his eyes.

"I want to see the execution platform," said Luffy, "the place where the Golden Age of Pirates began."

"Ok," said Nami, "here's how it will work. Gin, you go with Sanji and help him get what he needs."

"Sounds reasonable," said Gin.

"Yosaku and Johnny," continued Nami, "you two will go sword shopping with Zoro. Make sure he doesn't get lost or in trouble."

"Right, Nami-aneki!" said the former bounty hunters while Zoro scowled at the insinuation.

"Usopp," said Nami, "get what you need and we'll all meet Luffy at the platform. Hopefully before anything bad happens."

"Right," said Usopp.

"What about me, sis?" asked Nojiko with a smile.

Nami smiled and pulled out her wallet, "You and me are going shopping! I know a great clothing store with amazing prices."

"Sounds like a plan," said Nojiko.

"Right," said Nami, "now turn the ship 20 degrees to port, we'll catch a good breeze that will take us right to the harbor."

"Right," said the crew as they got to work following the Navigator's orders.

xXsceneXx

When the Going Merry docked at the Lougetown port, the crew gathered what they needed from the ship before splitting up and heading into the town. As they set foot on the ground, they knew that this was the beginning of a new set of challenges and trials that they would have to face here, and hoped that they would be ready.

xXsceneXx

Marine Captain Smoker, also known as Smoker the White Hunter, was currently meditating in his office by stacking stones while his powers filled the room with smoke. As he was carefully placing the fifth stone upon the others, the door to his office was slammed open by one of his subordinates.

"Captain Smoker!" yelled the officer, causing the captain to lose his concentration and knock the stones to the ground.

"What is it?" asked Smoker irately as he placed the last stone on the ground with the others.

"A pirate ship just docked at the North Port," said the officer as he saluted, "it's bearing the flag of the rookie pirate that holds the record for highest initial bounty, Monkey D. Luffy."

"Well," said Smoker as he got to his feet, "so that rookie's come here? He must plan on traveling to the Grand Line. Get the troops ready and find Tashigi. We're not letting that pirate leave this island."

"YES SIR!" yelled the soldier.

"And stop shouting," said Smoker, "I can hear you just fine."

As the solder ran off, the captain opened the windows to release the smoke and pulled on his Marine jacket and grabbed two cigars from his drawer. Lighting the ends, he took a drag and let the smoke seep from his mouth.

"Gold Rodger's death brought about the Golden Age of Pirate," mused Smoker, "and now it's our job to clean up the mess."

With that, the captain grabbed his Jitte from its peg on the wall and left his office to hunt down this rookie.

 

 


	15. Good Steel

As Zoro walked through the streets of Lougetown, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic and a bit excited about reclaiming Yubashiri and Kitetsu III. He would also face the challenge of finding an adequate set of blades for Johnny and Yosaku. He already had a decent idea as to their sword style and strengths after training them, but to make it on the grand line, the oversized meat cleavers they called swords would have to be replaced.

"So Zoro-aniki," said Johnny, "where are we going?"

"Yeah," added Yosaku as he looked around, "we've already passed several sword shops."

"Relax," said Zoro, "I know where we're going. Also, don't call me by name for the rest of the time we're here. I have a pretty bog price on my head and would rather people don't know who I am while we're here."

Though honestly, he was hoping to avoid another incident with Tashigi going on the warpath to take him down. Seriously, that woman needed some priorities. It didn't help that she was a dead ringer for Kuina…and perhaps that wasn't the best word choice.

"So what shop are we looking for, Aniki?" asked Johnny.

Zoro smiled in remembrance, "Trust me, I know where we're going."

"You act like you've been here before, Aniki," said Yosaku.

"Really? I never noticed," chuckled Zoro, "so, I've watched the two of you spar, and I think I have a good idea of your fighting styles."

"So what kind of styles do we have, Aniki?" asked Johnny.

"Well," said Zoro as he took a look around for the shop, "the two of you focus on powerful strikes that break through an opponent's guard to take them down with brute strength."

"I never noticed," said Yosaku, "but it sounds about right."

"So keep an eye out for a shop called Ippon-Matsu's Fine Arms," said Zoro as they kept walking down the street.

"Um, Aniki?" said Yosaku hesitantly.

"Hm?" asked Zoro.

"You know we passed that shop about an hour ago, right?"

xXsceneXx

After backtracking their steps for a bit, the trio managed to arrive at the shop they had been looking for. Before entering, Zoro turned to his two students and former partners to give some last bits of advice.

"Ok," said Zoro, "let me do the negotiating here, I know how to deal with the owner, and remember, don't use my name at any time while we're here."

"Right, Aniki," said the former Bounty Hunters.

The three swordsmen walked through the doors of the weapons shop and saw the balding, red nosed owner of the shop leaning on the counter with a yawn. The shop had probably seen better days and was completely devoid of customers, probably due to the influx of pirate activity being curbed by the powerful Marine presence in the town.

"Eh?" said the owner as he saw them walk in, "What brings you three here?"

"We're here to get some swords," said Zoro, "I need two good blades and my friends here could use some fine steel too."

"Well," said the man, his demeanor becoming cheery and hospitable in an instant, "what can I get for you gents? Ippon Matsu's the name and we have the best selection of blades in the East Blue."

"Good," said Zoro, "we have about 300,000 Berries, so what kinds of swords would that get us?"

The owner's mood vanished in a flash and he slouched back against the counter, "That's nowhere near enough to pay for four swords."

Before Zoro could say anything to haggle further, the door opened and a figure walked in that made the swordsman freeze and pale.

' _Shit,_ ' swore Zoro mentally, ' _I was hoping to avoid this meeting and the can of worms it opened last time. Maybe I can make it work._ '

"Hello," said a black haired woman as she walked in, "I'm here to pick up my sword I left for polishing."

This woman was Tashigi, a Marine officer that looked strangely like Zoro's childhood friend and, though he would never admit it, his first crush, Kuina.

As she walked up to the counter, she noticed Zoro standing there with a slight bit of sweat and smiled, "Oh, hello. Are you here buying a sword as well?"

"Yeah," said Zoro, "but I could use some help picking out some good ones. Think you can help me?"

"I'd be happy to," said Tashigi, "I assume you want swords for your friends?"

Zoro nodded, "And two for myself."

"Two?" said Tashigi, "But you have one alrea…"

She trailed off and gasped when she saw the sword hanging from his sash before leaning forward for a better look.

"Is that…? It is! That's Wado Ichimonji, one of the 21 O Wazamono blades! It is easily worth at least 10,000,000 berries! How is it you have a sword like this in your possession?"

"It was given to me by a dear friend," said Zoro as he placed a hand on the hilt.

"So, if you have a sword like Wado, then why do you need two more swords?" asked Tashigi.

"I just feel more comfortable with three," said Zoro.

"Three swords, huh?" said Tashigi, "That sounds like that bounty hunter Roronoa Zoro."

"I've heard of him," said Zoro with a small smile, "he's pretty skilled."

"He's awful," said Tashigi, "using his blades only as a way to make money by fighting and hurting other people. My dream is to liberate those great swords from their evil masters one day."

"Why do you think he's evil?" asked Zoro as he walked over to a barrel of cheap swords, "Aren't swords made so people can fight with them? If they just sat on a shelf all day, they'd just gather dust and rust."

"I guess," said Tashigi, "but there are nobler ways to use swords."

"Why isn't the life of a hunter noble?" asked Zoro, "He only goes after criminals and brings them in to be punished by the law, right. He uses his blades to bring an end to the evil sailing the seas."

"I guess," said Tashigi, "but…"

"And besides," continued Zoro, "don't the Marines fight and kill people with their blades as well?"

"The Marines follow a code of Justice and Honor," said Tashigi, "they would never do something like that."

"Really?" asked Zoro, "I heard about a certain Captain of the Marine base in Shell Town that was letting his power get to his head and ran the base like he was a king in his castle."

"That was one incident," protested Tashigi.

"What about the Marine Captain that was working with the Arlong Pirates and accepting bribes to turn a blind eye to the oppression of the townsfolk?" asked Zoro.

"I get your point," sighed Tashigi.

"In any case," said Zoro, "it's not the occupation of the man wielding a sword that makes them unfit, it's how they choose to use the sword that decides that."

"Fine," said Tashigi.

"So," said Zoro, "you think you can help us find some good steel?"

"Sure," said Tashigi with a smile.

Zoro nodded as he shifted through the barrel of cheap blades until his hand closed around a familiar hilt, ' _There you are._ '

"That sword," said Tashigi as Zoro pulled the katana from the barrel.

Puling out a small book on swords and their values, she flipped through the pages until she found the sword in his hand, "That's Sandai Kitetsu! It's a Wazomono grade sword easily worth 1,000,000 berries. You should buy this sword!"

"Wait," said Ippon Matsu nervously, "I can't sell that's sword."

"Why not?" asked Tashigi.

"It's a cursed blade," said Zoro before the shop owner could answer.

"So you've heard of it?" asked Ippon Matsu.

"Somewhat," said Zoro, "but I could tell by it's feel."

Ippon Matsu nodded as he leaned on the counter, "All the Kitetsu blades are cursed. They are remarkable weapons made from excellent steel, but all those that have used them in the past have met gruesome deaths."

"Aniki," said Johnny, "maybe you should get a different sword?"

"Nah," smirked Zoro, "I rather like this one."

"No way!" said the shopkeeper, "If I sell you that blade and you kick the bucket it'll be like I was the one who killed you!"

"Then let's test this 'curse,'" said Zoro as he tossed the blade into the air, "if it wins, maybe I'm not worthy to wield a blade."

Zoro extended his arm and closed his eyes, shutting out the sounds of the former Bounty Hunters protesting his actions and Tashigi gasping in horror, focusing only on the blade that was spiraling toward his arm. The others watched in horror as the blade spun down toward his arm, but just as it seemed about to sever the limb from his body, the blade seemed to slow for a second, adjusting the spin so it curved harmlessly around his arm and impaled the ground.

"I'll take it," said Zoro, causing everyone else to fall to the ground in shock as their legs gave out.

"W-w-wait right there!" said Ippon Matsu as he rushed to the shop's back room.

The red nosed owner soon emerged with an object covered in cloth, and when he removed the cloth he revealed a blade contained in a polished black sheathe with gold highlights.

"This is the finest sword in the whole shop," said Ippon Matsu, "a Ryo Wazamono blade with a midareba pattern. This blade is Yubashiri."

"I doubt I can afford that," said Zoro.

"No charge," said Ippon Matsu, "it's been a while since I've met a swordsman of your caliber. You can have Kitetsu as well. These swords have chosen you, so use them well."

"Thanks," said Zoro, "think I can get two more for my friends here?"

"What kinds of swords do they use?" asked Ippon Matsu, getting a smile from Zoro.

"They prefer heavier swords that can break through an opponent's guard," said the swordsman.

"Hmm," said Ippon Matsu, "then I have the perfect thing."

Walking over to a glass case, the shopkeeper pulled out, with some effort, two black swords, "These were given to my shop a long time ago. The metal was gathered from the heart of a fallen star and forged into these blades. They will be strong enough to meet your needs."

"How much?" asked Zoro, as he looked over the blades. They were rather large and were double edged, as opposed to a conventional katana.

"For you," said Ippon Matsu, "150,000 apiece."

The two former bounty hunters forked over the cash and strapped the blades to their back, noting the weight of the metal. With their business done, the group headed out to meet up with the others, leaving Tashigi wondering what kind of man had she just met.

 

 


	16. Smoking Reputations

"THIS IS IT!" exclaimed Luffy as he stood in front of the execution platform, "This is where Gold Roger had his final moments."

The Captain of the Strawhat Pirates stood happily in front of the place where the Golden Age of Piracy had begun. He had almost forgotten how great it had felt to stand here in front of the place where the man who had it all met his end. Now what did he do last time, OH! He climbed it! The one thing better than seeing the platform from the ground, was seeing the town from the place where Gold Rodger was executed.

With a smile, he ran up to the platform and began to climb, ignoring the spectators watching that were muttering things about how crazy he seemed, and instead choosing to work harder to reach the top. A strong breeze nearly blew his hat off, but he quickly caught it and placed it safely back on his head.

"Better be careful with that," said Luffy as he pulled himself onto the execution platform.

Looking out at the town in front of him from his place on the platform, Luffy let a huge grin spread onto his face. It wasn't just the nostalgia, but the feeling of standing in the place where the man who started it all met his end; it brought a feeling of deep excitement to the young Captain.

"This is where it all began," said Luffy with a huge grin, "and I get to do it all over again! This time, I swear we'll do it right."

With a laugh, Luffy sat down on the platform leaving his feet dangling off the edge. Since the crew was going to meet up here

xXsceneXx

While Luffy was enjoying the sights from the execution platform, the chef of his pirate crew was browsing the port markets for ingredients and provisions to last them until their next stop on the Grand Line. With him, lending his recovering strength to help carry the parcels, was the former Combat Commander of the Kreig Pirates.

"You have a good eye for food here," said Gin as Sanji finished bartering with a salesman for a bunch of fresh caught fish, "but I never thought I'd see West Blue fish here in the East Blue.

"Heh," chuckled Sanji as he took a drag from his cigarette, "there's a reason that I believe so fully in the fact that the All Blue exists."

"Is that so?" said Gin, "I don't mean to poke holes in your optimism Sanji, but just because you find several bunches of fish that washed in from the West Blue, it doesn't make the dream of a sea where all fish can be found any more real."

"I don't know about that," said Sanji, "but anyone who's been to the Grand Line would know that, in those seas, conventional logic goes out the window. And since this town is at the entrance to the Grand Line, its quite possible some of the spill off from the All Blue reaches here. The All Blue is in the New World, I'm sure of it."

"That's quite the dream you have there," said Gin.

Something on a market stand caught the Chef's eye and he smirked, "This  _is_  the age of dreams," he chuckled, "and there's your proof."

Gin turned in the direction Sanji was pointing to and his eyes widened, "Is that…?"

"Yup," said Sanji, "a Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna. Caught fresh too, if I'm not mistaken."

"You have a good eye," said the merchant, a large man named Sapi who happened to be half-Fishman, "this was caught just this morning by one of our fishing teams. Biggest one we've caught in a while in fact."

"Quite the catch too," said Sanji, "it's a quality fish."

"So," said Sapi, "how would you like it cut?"

"No need," said Sanji with a grin, "I'll take the whole thing."

Sapi smiled and quickly bartered with Sanji over the price. When the two men reached an agreement, Sanji hefted the large fish over his shoulder and the two pirates headed back to the docks to drop off their goods before they would meet up at the Execution Platform.

"Say, Sanji," said Gin as the two of them headed for the docks, "why is it Nami wanted to meet up at the Execution Platform and not at the Merry?"

"It's complicated," sighed Sanji.

"Seriously?" asked Gin with a sigh, "With how often you guys use that phrase, you should have it copyrighted already."

"There is a reason," said Sanji, "and it  _is_  complicated."

"You're going to have to tell us eventually," said Gin, "you can't keep keeping secrets."

"We know," said Sanji, "now let's get moving. Nami-san mentioned that bad weather was coming soon."

The two men nodded and redoubled their pace in order to make it to the Going Merry before the storm arrived.

xXsceneXx

Luffy was enjoying himself from atop the Execution Platform. He was glad that the crew was going to meet up here before leaving, as that meant he could spend more time enjoying the feeling of standing in the place where the Age of Piracy was born. Offhandedly he mused that, if the Marines didn't defeat them at Raftel, he might have been taken here for his own execution.

Luffy was snapped out of his thoughts when a man's voice called out to him while being amplified by a bullhorn. Looking up, he saw several men in Marine uniforms standing in front of the platform.

"Excuse me, sir," said the officer with the bullhorn, "but climbing the Platform when it is not in use is strictly prohibited. I'm going to have to ask you to come down or we will be forced to detain you."

"Huh?" said Luffy, "I'm just waiting for my crew, and I wanted to see where Gold Rodger had his final moments."

"Sir," said the Marine, "you are going to have to come down. I'm sure your crew will understand."

"But we agreed to meet up here," said Luffy, "and I can't do that if I go with you guys."

"Sir," said the man, "this is your final warning."

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "sorry, but I'm not leaving."

The Marine was about to call out to the troops to climb up and detain Luffy, but a hand on his shoulder forced him to stop.

"You idiot," growled Captain Smoker as he gently pushed the officer aside, "don't you recognize him from the new posters? That's Straw Hat Luffy, wanted dead or alive for 70,000,000 berries."

"Oh," said Luffy as he saw the Captain, "you're here too?"

"I see you've heard of me, Straw Hat," said Smoker, "then I'm sure you know that I never let a pirate escape my clutches. I'm bringing you in and giving you a one way ticket to Impel Down."

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy, "nah, don't think so. You see, I still gotta go to the Grand Line so I can find the One Piece and become the Pirate King!"

"That's a bold statement," smirked Smoker, "but you'll need more than words to back it up.  _White Out!_ "

Smoker turned his arms into clouds of smoke that shot at Luffy, but the young captain had used Observation Haki and saw the attack coming, allowing him to jump up and out of the way while stretching his fist back for a punch that was aimed at Smoker's face.

"That won't work," said Smoker as he turned his arms back to normal.

" _Gum Gum: Pistol!_ " yelled Luffy as he coated his fist in just enough Haki to bypass Smoker's Devil Fruit powers, but not so much as to seriously injure him.

He did help them out a few times after all.

The Marine Captain was sent reeling back in surprise as the punch slammed into his cheek, knocking him to the ground.

' _He bypassed my Logia defense!_ ' thought Smoker in shock before he yelled to his troops, "Load Kairoseki bullets and fire!"

The marines loaded bullets into their guns and fired at Luffy, but the rubber captain was able to dodge out of the way using Haki before leaping over their heads.

" _White Blow!_ "

Luffy, alerted by his Haki, jumped up to avoid a blast of smoke sent by the Marine Captain that would have slammed him against the Execution Platform scaffolding.

"Nice try, Smokey," laughed Luffy, "but you'll have to be faster than that."

' _I can't believe it,_ ' thought Smoker, ' _this rookie pirate can use Haki!_ '

"I don't plan on being caught here today," said Luffy with a grin, "I'm headed for the New World, and I'm gonna become the next King of the Pirates."

Smoker's eyes widened as clouds began to gather in the sky, signaling ominous weather and making the young captain's declaration seem all the more foreboding. Smoker, for an instant, saw the ghost of another man standing behind Luffy with the same confident smile that the young captain had.

"Bring him down," said a Marine officer as the troops leveled their guns at Luffy.

The troops were about to fire, but a blast of wind blades sent them flying as five figures landed at Luffy's side.

"Looks like you're in trouble again, Luffy," said Zoro as he tied his sash around his head.

"Same as always then," said Sanji as he blew out some smoke.

"Well," said Gin as he readied his Tonfa, "Nami, Nojiko, and Usopp are prepping the ship, so we go through these guys and we're home free."

"Well then," said Zoro as he Johnny and Yosaku readied their swords, "let's test these new blades out."

As Smoker looked over the present members of the Straw Hat Pirates, he knew that the words that Luffy had said earlier were not some idle claim. Half of the men in front of him had considerable bounties and the others looked like no stranger to combat.

' _Monkey D. Luffy, you're no normal rookie,_ ' thought Smoker.

 

 


	17. To the Grand Line!

As the Marines looked over the pirates assembled at the base of the execution platform, they felt a hint of foreboding creep down their spines. The fact that they were now facing down three of the most wanted Rookies in the East Blue in addition, 'Man Demon' Gin was standing with them along with two other swordsmen.

"All forces," said Smoker, "take down those pirates!"

"Looks like a noisy bunch," said Sanji.

"Not going to be a problem though," said Zoro, "Johnny, Yosaku, remember what I've taught you two and you'll be fine."

The Marines grabbed their swords and charged at the assembled Pirates, but Gin quickly stepped forward and gripped his tonfa as he slammed them into the chests of several officers, sending them flying back with broken bones. Several more charged forward, but the former member of the Kreig Armada slammed the weighted end of the tonfa into the ground, smashing the pavement under their feet, causing them to stumble and fall.

Once Gin left the Marines off balance, Yosaku and Johnny shot forward with their new blades and cut down the remaining officers, their meteor forged blades slicing through the steel of their swords. The two of them next raised their blades and rushed forward, bringing them down in a cross slash.

" _Raging Cross!_ " said the swordsmen as the Marine's bodies were slashed.

"Those pirates," growled Smoker as he got to his feet, "you won't escape from my town!"

Smoker turned his arms into smoke and shot them at the Strawhat Pirates, aiming to envelop and capture them. Just as the smoke was upon the rookie members of Luffy's crew, the crew's Chef and First Mate stepped forward and stopped the cloud cold with a Haki infused leg and sword, respectively.

"Sorry," said Sanji, "but you're not taking us down today."

"We've got some big plans," said Zoro, "so we can't afford to be stopped here."

"I won't be defeated by mere pirates like you," said Smoker, "it doesn't matter how large your bounty is.  _White Blow!_ "

The Marine Captain shot tendrils of smoke from his arms at the two pirates, but if he wanted them to cower in fear, he was going to be disappointed.

As the smoke approached the two pirates, Sanji spun on his foot, igniting it with the friction before kicking off the ground and launching himself into the air above the Captain.

" _Bien Cult: Grill Shot!_ " yelled Sanji as he kicked Smoker, using just enough Haki to allow his legs to bypass the Captain's Logia defense, but not enough to seriously injure him. After all, he did help them out on occasion, however reluctantly.

The kick slammed Smoker into the Captain's back, slamming him into the ground and burning a crisscross pattern into his jacket as his eyes widened in pain and shock from the injury. The Strawhat Chef landed softly on the ground as his foot smoked, and Zoro stepped forward to take his turn.

" _Santoryu: Kokujo: O Tatsumaki!_ " said Zoro as he swung his swords and whipped up a twister of slashes, purposely avoiding using Haki with his slashes.

The cyclone tore through the ranks of the Marines until it picked up the fallen Marine Captain in its vortex. Smoker felt his body turning into smoke due to his Logia abilities, but because he was trapped in the twister, his body was being dissipated and trapped in its gaseous form, unable to escape.

"Sorry Smokey," said Luffy as he jumped up and stretched his fist back while coating it with Haki, "but we gotta set sail.  _Gum Gum Pistol!_ "

He slammed his fist into the twister, his Haki infused limb smashing through the attack and impacting with Smoker's dispersed body and sending him slamming into the ground where he lay prone.

"Shishishi," laughed Luffy as he landed and adjusted his hat, "time to go everyone."

The rest of the assembled Pirates nodded and ran for the opening in the ranks of the Marines, making a beeline for the docks where the Going Merry was waiting. As they ran, the weather began to take a turn for the worse and lightning streaked across the sky as rain fell on the Pirates and their pursuers.

"That girl really was spot on about the weather," muttered Gin as they ran through the streets.

"That's our Nami-swan," said Sanji, "she always knows the weather."

"Talk later," said Zoro as he deflected a bullet with his katana, "we have other things to deal with."

As the Strawhat crew rounded a corner, they were surprised to see that several Marines had blocked the path and had set up artillery on the road.

"Out of the way!" yelled the crew's Monster Trio.

" _Santoryu…_ "

" _Mouton…_ "

" _Gum Gum…_ "

"… ** _Oni Giri!_** "

"… ** _Shot!_** "

"… ** _Bazooka!_** "

The three attacks slammed into the Marines and literally blasted straight through their blockade, sending them flying away. As the Pirated continued on their way a powerful wind swept past them and, if they had looked back, they would have seen the Marines pursuing them get swept back and deposited painfully on the cobblestones as a hooded figure stood over them.

"The winds of change are in the air," said the man, "go now Luffy. Set sail and show this world what you can do…my son."

With a laugh the wind swirled around the cloaked man and he vanished into the storm.

xXsceneXx

"So you found our Captain?" asked Nami as the group ran up.

"Of course, Nami-san," said Sanji, "though it was lucky we didn't need to find our First Mate as well."

"Oi!" yelled Zoro, "I wasn't the one that was lost!"

"Well that's a surprise," smirked Sanji, "I wonder if we'll see pigs fly soon."

"You wanna go, Ero-Chef?" growled Zoro as he smashed heads with Sanji.

"You talk like you could win, Shitty-Marimo," shot back Sanji.

"Enough!" yelled Nami, "if you two have time to quarrel, then get to work prepping the ship for departure. I want to be out of here before the worst of the storm hits."

The crew quickly got aboard the ship and got to work securing the ship's rigging. Once things were set, the Going Merry pulled away from the docks and made its way toward the open seas.

"We're on our way," said Luffy, "straight to the Grand Line!"

"It will be good to have some challenging fights for once," said Zoro, "I'll have to step up my training."

"It's the sea that almost destroyed Don's crew," said Gin, "I never thought I'd be returning to it like this, yet somehow, it feels right."

"Then let's set sail," said Nami, "next stop, Reverse Mountain, the entrance to Paradise."

xXsceneXx

"…and that's what happened," said Smoker to the Den Den Mushi that was connected to Marine Headquarters, "I'd like permission to pursue the Strawhats."

"Granted," said the voice on the other end of the line, "on one condition. You will meet up with a ship that will deliver additional support to aid you in your hunt. We will not let these pirates run wild, and from your report, you could use the assistance in bringing them in."

Smoker grit his teeth, not wanting to seem like he needed help taking down rookie pirates, but he had to agree with the assessment.

"Yes sir," said Smoker, "will they be coming to our port?"

"No," said the voice, "to save time, he'll meet up with you at G-7."

"Right," said Smoker, "thank you, sir."

Turning, he regarded the other occupant of the room, who was staring at the ground sheepishly.

"Stand up straight, Tashigi," said Smoker.

"Sorry sir," said the swordswoman, "I got a bit lost heading to the plaza on such short notice."

"It doesn't matter now," said Smoker, "we're heading after Strawhat's crew."

"Strawhat Luffy?" said Tashigi, "The new Super Rookie?"

"Yes," said Smoker, "and apparently, he's traveling with Man Demon Gin and Roronoa Zoro."

"Zoro?" said Tashigi in surprise, "He was here?"

"Here's their profiles from the bounty office," said Smoker as he handed a folder to the Master Chief Petty Officer, "study them."

Tashigi opened the folder and skimmed through the files, but when she came upon a certain wanted poster, her eyes widened.

"It's him…!"

**To be continued…**

 

 


	18. A Whale of a Tale

As the Going Merry sailed through the stormy seas on route for the entrance to the Grand Line, the Straw Hat Pirates were scrambling to follow Nami's directions and keep the ship on course for what the map referred to as, Reverse Mountain.

"Alright full canvas!" yelled Nami, "Bring us about bearing 37 degrees. Zoro, keep that rudder steady but don't let it break from the pressure. Usopp, keep an eye out for the Red Line, we don't want to hit it by mistake."

As said members of the crew scrambled to follow their navigator's orders, the rest of the crew was hard at work, making sure that the ship would survive the trip to the mountain.

"This is insane," said Nojiko as she worked with Gin to keep the sail from tearing, "it's like nature itself is fighting against us!"

"Heh," chuckled Gin as he helped the blunette to secure the rigging, "if you think this is bad, then you're in for a rude awakening once we get to the Grand Line itself."

"It can't be that bad…can it?" asked Nojiko.

"Trust me," said Gin as he finished tying down the length of rope, "it can."

"Enough chitchat," said Nami as she called the crew in for a meeting as the weather calmed for a few minutes, "we're past the easy part now so here's what's gonna happen."

"She calls that easy?" muttered Johnny, getting a slap upside the head from the navigator.

"Anyway," said Nami, "what comes next will require a lot of teamwork and coordination, because we're sailing straight up a mountain and down into the Grand Line."

There was silence for a moment as those new to the crew glanced at the veterans (though they didn't know them to be such) in order to see if their navigator was being serious or not.

"No," said Zoro, "she's absolutely serious. We're going to be sailing straight up a mountain."

"How are we supposed to do that?" asked Nojiko, "We don't have any engines on this ship!"

"Yeah Aniki," said Yosaku, "last I checked, rivers flow down to the sea from the peak, not the other way around."

"Trust me," said Zoro, "it's only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the Grand Line's weirdness."

"In addition," said Luffy, "since we're now gonna be headed into the Grand Line itself, it's time for you to begin learning how to use Haki."

"Haki?" asked Nojiko, "What's that?"

The other three new Straw Hats had similar confused responses, causing the Monster Trio of the ship to smirk in anticipation.

"Haki," said Sanji, "is better known by its two main forms, Kenbunshoku, Color of Observation, and Busoshoku, Color of Armaments. Kenbunshoku Haki can allow you to read and sense an opponent's spirit, allowing one to detect hidden opponents and/or dodge their attacks via prediction."

"The next form, Busoshoku, is like a suit of armor forged by your will," said Zoro, "you can project it around yourself like a shield or…" he held up Wado and channeled Haki through it, causing the blade to turn black, "…you can infuse it into your skin or weapons to make them stronger."

"In addition," said Sanji, "a Haki infused strike can bypass the defenses that a Devil Fruit user has, like Luffy's rubber body or Smoker's smoke. Considering some of the enemies we'll face on the Grand Line, we'll all need to be able to use the two basic forms of Haki."

"You talk like there are more," said Gin.

"There is a third," said Sanji, "Haoshoku, the Color of the Conquering King. That's a skill you can't learn. You either are born with the gift, or are not, but those who can use it can use it to overpower and dominate the wills of others."

"So you five all can use Haki?" asked Yosaku, getting a nod from the crew.

"Even you, sis?" asked Nojiko as she looked at Nami.

"Especially her," muttered Zoro, "how do you think she's able to knock us around when our idiot of a captain is made of rubber?"

"Anyway," said Nami, "we'll have plenty of time for that later, but right now, we're gonna have to worry about the Reverse Mountain. If we don't hit the currents just right, then we'll be smashed to pieces against the Red Line."

The crew nodded and quickly got to work steering the ship toward a certain point on the Red Line. They new members weren't quite sure how exactly a ship would be able to climb a mountain and sail down into the Grand Line, but they had faith that their navigator wouldn't lead them astray. They soon got their answer when they got close enough to the massive continental wall and saw a set of wooden arches going up the mountain. The newcomers to the Grand Line stared in amazement at the channel of water that was forced up the mountain by the swift current despite the pull of gravity.

"Amazing," said Nojiko.

"We're actually gonna sail up a mountain," said Johnny.

"Hard to port!" said Nami, "Let's make sure we get our entry right."

The Strawhats scrambled around the ship to keep the Going Merry from slamming into the side of the channel as they sailed up it. The crew held their breaths as the currents pulled them up the side of the mountain until they reached the peak and did a hard turn in the air to sail down the other side.

"Here we go!" said Luffy as he sat upon the figurehead, "On to the Grand Line!"

"To think I'd come back here like this," chuckled Gin, "somehow it feels right."

"I never thought this would be involved in this trip," shrieked Nojiko as she gripped the mast in fright.

Suddenly through the clouds, a large black shape could be seen blocking the exit of the channel. In fact, it looked like the ship was about to crash into it if something wasn't to be done.

"What is that thing?" exclaimed Johnny.

"We're gonna crash!" yelled Yosaku.

"Is this how it ends?" murmured Gin in horror.

"Not on our watch," said Luffy as he stood from his seat and extended his hands, "Sanji, Zoro!"

"Got your back," said Zoro as he walked up and mimicked Luffy's stance.

"Kida feel sorry for him," said Sanji as he also mimicked the stance, "this is gonna hurt."

In a move that, unbeknownst to the three pirates, mimicked one that the three Marine Admirals used in the original timeline to stop an attack from Whitebeard that threatened Marineford, the three strongest members of the Strawhat Pirates channeled the power of their Armament Haki outward and in front of the ship's bow, creating an invisible wall that slammed into the black object, revealing it to be a massive whale that they unfortunately sent flying several feet away.

"Sorry Laboon," sighed Luffy.

As the ship came to a stop, the rest of the crew managed to shake off the shock of seeing three of their members toss a whale aside without even touching it.

"What was that?" whispered Gin in shock, "They didn't even touch it."

" _That_ ," said Zoro, "was an example of what Haki can do."

"You're definitely going to have to teach me that," said the former member of the Kreig Armada.

"Ditto," said Johnny and Yosaku.

"First though," said Nami, "we deal with that whale."

The group looked and saw that their crewmates had indeed toppled a large whale with their Haki, and when they thought it couldn't get weirder, a door opened in the side of the aquatic mammal.

"I give up," sighed Nojiko, "this crew is just too weird."

 

 


	19. New Enemies and Old Friends

As the Navy Ship commanded by Smoker approached the iron gates that blocked entrance to the Marine Base G-7, the battle hardened Captain couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about who was being sent by command to support his team while they searched for Monkey D. Luffy and his crew. If the higher-ups were sending someone to assist him in hunting down those pirates, then they would be most certainly sending someone powerful, possibly even a Vice-Admiral.

"This is Navy Ship Windfall requesting entrance to G-7," said Tashigi into her Den-Den Mushi as the ship moved closer.

"Navy Ship Windfall," said the Den-Den Mushi, "please transmit your authorized clearance code."

"Code as follows," said Smoker, "Victor three one seven, Captain Smoker."

"Code confirmed and accepted," said the Snail, "welcome to G-7 Captain."

With a creaking sound, the iron gates slid open, revealing a tunnel cut into the side of the flooded volcano crater that the Marine Base was built into. G-7 base had been created on an artificial island set into the center of a large lake, which was once a large volcanic crater. The stone walls of the crater provided a natural set of defenses and as such, G-7 was one of the more powerful bases in the Grand Line.

When the ship docked in the base, several officers were waiting and saluted the Captain and his officers as they walked onto the docks.

"Captain Smoker," said the lead officer, "We've been expecting you. I am to escort you two to the conference room to meet with Vice Admiral Drake."

Smoker frowned at that bit of news. Vice Admiral Alexander Drake, also known by his epithet 'Steel,' was known to be a man to be feared and respected. He tended to carry a view he called the 'Rule of Steel,' in which he carried out his duties in upholding the law in unwavering absolutes. Crime was to be punished, and Justice upheld. No exceptions and no exclusions. The pair of Cybernetic prosthetics that had been commissioned for him by the scientist Dr. Vegapunk, when his original arms had been severely injured in a fight with a pirate that used an Ancient Zoan fruit only enhanced his reputation. The arms gave him immense strength and he had even had them coated with kairoseki in order to better combat Devil Fruit users. All in all, he was not one to be trifled with.

Smoker followed the Marine Lieutenant as he led them to the base's Conference Room, and upon walking inside, they saw the Vice Admiral standing with his back to them, with his hands crossed behind his back, looking out the window over the training grounds.

"I've brought them sir," said the Lieutenant.

"Good," said Drake simply, "you are dismissed."

"Sir," said the Marine as he saluted before heading out of the room.

"Vice Admiral," said Smoker in greeting.

"Captain Smoker," said Drake, "known as the White Hunter, with a reputation for efficiency in capturing pirates and brining them to justice. Tell me, why is it a captain such as yourself was not able to apprehend a rookie pirate and his small crew of eight?"

"If I may," said Smoker, "Monkey D. Luffy was no normal rookie and neither were several members of his crew."

"Indeed?" said the Vice Admiral.

"Yes," said Smoker, "Strawhat and at least one other member of his crew already have shown the ability to utilize Haki to the extent that they could bypass my Logia defense with ease, and four of them already have substantial bounties, not including Strawhat's own bounty. Those rookies are different from the usual lot."

"Considering who the boy is, I'm not surprised," said the Vice Admiral as he turned to face the two officers and picked up a file that was sitting on the table, "I suggest you read this, Captain, but the rest of your men are not authorized to view it. We'll be heading out as soon as your ship has been resupplied."

"Yes sir," said Smoker.

xXsceneXx

"So let me get this straight," sighed Nojiko, "you're a doctor and you live inside this whale here in order to care for it until its former crew arrives like they promised?"

"That sounds about right," said Crocus, an old man that had emerged from the door in the side of the whale.

"But how could you live inside a whale?" asked Nojiko.

"I have plenty of hobbies," said the man simply.

"So this whale has been waiting all this time?" asked Gin, "Are its friends still alive at this point?"

"In all honestly," said Crocus as he scratched his hair, which resembled a flower, "I don't think so. Laboon here is just clinging to a false hope."

"No," said Luffy, "he's not."

This caused Crocus to turn toward the rubber captain in confusion, "I beg your pardon?"

"The crew isn't dead," said Luffy, "at least not all of them."

"That can't be," said Crocus, "they've been gone for far too long. If they were alive, they would have circumnavigated the globe and returned by now."

"They won't break their promise!" declared Luffy. Crocus was about to object, but was cut off when Laboon, who had been listening, let out a mighty wail and began to charge at the Red Line again.

"Damnit," swore Crocus, "he's at it again, and I won't be able to get inside and tranquilize him before he seriously hurts himself."

"Don't worry," said Luffy as he got into a stance and began pumping his legs, "I got this.  _Gear Second._ "

Steam poured from Luffy's skin as it turned pink from the increased blood flow and he vanished in a blur, using his increased speed to close the distance between him and Laboon, positioning himself on the Red Line, directly in the whale's path. Facing the oncoming marine mammal, he held no fear and focused a burst of Haoshoku Haki forward at Laboon, not enough to knock him out, but enough to force the beast to calm down due to the pressure exerted, causing the whale to slow to a stop and face Luffy while trembling a bit.

"Feeling a little more calm?" asked Luffy, "Good. Now, I know your friends have been gone a long time, but I promise you, one day, I'll bring back the remaining member of their crew and reunite the two of you. I'm going to the Grand Line and I'm gonna cross the New World and return to this spot. I promise you that."

As the whale looked at the pirate, something about him reassured it that this human, this strange human, would indeed fulfill that promise, even if it meant defying god himself.

Suddenly, Luffy felt a twinge from his Kenbunshoku Haki and quickly used his enhanced speed to put himself between two bazooka shells that would have blown a hole through the whale.

"Luffy!" yelled the newer members of the crew, while the two other members of the monster trio were strangely absent.

xXsceneXx

"Crap," said a figure dressed like a prince, crown and all, as he reloaded his weapon, "we didn't get the whale, Miss Wednesday."

"Don't worry, Mr. 9," said a woman with blue hair held back by a metal ornament as she did the same with her gun, "a dead man can't interfere twice."

"Well well well," said a voice from behind them, "looks like a couple of bounty hunters looking for the wrong prey."

The two figures slowly turned to see the First Mate of the Strawhat Pirates standing behind them. With the sun behind him casting his features into shadow, his eyes seemed to glow, causing the two of them to sweat. They were in trouble now.

xXsceneXx

"So," said Nami as she kneeled down in front of the two tied up bounty hunters, "maybe now's a good time for introductions?"

Sanji had returned rather quickly from fishing their captain's slightly burnt, but otherwise unharmed, body out of the ocean, where it had fallen after getting shot, and had thus been able to bear witness to Usopp's rather impressive skill at tying the two enemies up in a way that rendered them harmless and immobile. Deciding that it would be in their best interest to do as their captors had asked, they nodded.

"I'm Miss Wednesday," said the woman.

"I'm Mr. 9," said the man.

"Well aren't those interesting names," said Nami with a smirk, "while I doubt they are real, it doesn't matter, because we need something from you two. Our supplies are a bit low, and since the two of you seem to be familiar with these waters, maybe you could tell us where the nearest town is?"

The two hunters glanced at each other and came to a mutual decision that they could possibly turn in their favor.

"Yeah," said Mr. 9, "there's a town not too far away. It's called Whiskey Peak and the people there really like pirates."

"We would be happy to guide you there," said Miss Wednesday, "if you'd untie us first."

"It's a deal," said Nami, "we'll untie you…once we're on open water. We wouldn't want you to jump ship and try to leave before we get there."

The two hunters had black clouds of despair over them as Zoro, leaving the rest of the crew to talk with Crocus, dragged them back to the Merry.

"So you lot are serious about heading to Raftel?" asked the doctor/lighthouse keeper.

"We are," said Luffy, "I'm going to find Rodger's treasure and become the next Pirate King with my crew at my side."

As Crocus watched the rubber captain, he suddenly saw the image of another captain, one that he had served under, who also wore a straw hat and smiled a lot, standing behind the boy.

' _Roger?_ ' thought Crocus in surprise before he smiled.

"If your resolve is as strong as what you've shown me, then I believe you can make it," said Crocus, "and so, I'll give you something to help you."

Crocus handed a wristband with a compass needle suspended in a glass sphere.

"Oh, a Log Pose," said Nami, "that will really come in handy."

"So you know about the troubles these waters can bring," said Crocus, "good. Many who come through these parts don't realize the dangers and unpredictability of the Grand Line. Just one thing: you'd better keep your promise Straw Hat. You'd better come back here and reunite the whale with his old crew, or you're not fit to wear the crown of the king."

"Don't worry," said Luffy with a smile, "Our navigator's dream is to make a map of the world, so we'll be sure to come back."

Crocus chuckled as he remembered another captain that held such charisma and confidence, and had the power to back it up. Many years ago, he sailed with that man and watched as he ascended the steps and became the one known as Gold Roger, King of the Pirates. Looking at this boy in a familiar Straw Hat, he wondered if Roger was reborn now in his body.

' _Perhaps I've just sent another King on his trip of ascendancy…_ '

 

 


	20. Party and Peril

As the Going Merry sailed through the seas of the Grand Line, the crew got to experience first hand the erratic and random weather patterns present even in the Paradise section of the Grand Line. The crew scrambled around, quickly having to switch from shoveling snow off the deck, to checking for leaks in a rainstorm, to resting as the sun shone bright, and then repeating the process. While most of the crew wasn't having the best time, the two Bounty Hunters that the Strawhats had taken prisoner were having the least pleasant time of all.

The Strawhats had kept their word and had untied the duo when they had reached open water, but the two of them were quickly roped into keeping the ship from being torn apart by the crazy weather. They were quite cooperative due to the fact that they would die too if the weather sunk the ship and the fact that they were scared of several members of the crew.

"Batten down the hatches!" yelled Nami, "Secure the rigging! Zoro, keep the rudder straight! Sanji, iceberg off the port bow!"

The First Mate nodded and used his strength to keep the steering stick steady, while the ship's cook leapt up and reduced a massive mountain of ice that was drifting too close into fine powder with a powerful kick.

"What's up with this crew?" Miss Wednesday whispered to Mr. 9, "They're crazy strong!"

"Maybe we should have let Miss Monday and Mister 8 deal with the whale?" Mr. 9 whispered back.

"Oi," shouted Zoro, "quit gossiping and get to work you two."

"Right!" said the two Bounty Hunters as they resumed scooping water out of the ship with buckets.

This continued for several more hours until the weather finally stabilized enough for the crew to take a breather and look over their maps.

"So, according to the sea chart," said Nami, "we're getting close to Whiskey Peak."

"What kind of place is it?" asked Nojiko, "You told us that the people there really like pirates, right?"

"Well," said Mr. 9, "the inhabitants enjoy throwing lavish parties for arriving pirates and their crews, and they're reputed to have some of the best alcohol in the Grand Line."

"Sounds like our kind of place," said Yosaku.

"You'd better not be tricking us," said Johnny as he rested a hand on his sword.

"Cause if you're lying about good, free booze," said Yosaku.

" **We'd be pissed off,** " the two hunters turned pirates finished together, causing Mr. 9 to sweat profusely.

"No no no!" he reassured them, "I'm certainly not lying! There are even drinking contests!"

"ALRIGHT!" cheered the two men.

"Well," said Nami, "according to the Log Pose, we're getting awfully close. In fact, we should be able to see it quite soon now."

"Oi," called out Gin from his perch on the Crow's Nest, "I think I might be seeing things, because I'm seeing a giant cactus growing out of the ocean."

"That's it!" said Miss Wednesday, "That's the Cactus Mountains of Whiskey Peak!"

"Well," said Sanji as he took a drag from his cigarette, "looks like things are about to get interesting."

xXsceneXx

"WECLOME PIRATES!" was the cheer that greeted the Strawhat Pirates as their ship sailed up to the docks.

"Looks like these people really do like pirates," mused Gin, "who'd a thunk it?"

"Greetings," said a man wearing a suit with white hair done up in tight curls, "Ahem, mi-mi-mi-mi. My name is Igarappoi and I am the mayor of Whiskey Peak. We would like to thank you for rescuing our friends and bringing them to us, and we would like to show our gratitude by hosting a celebration in your honor."

"Alright!" cheered Luffy, "Bring out the food!"

"And the booze!" said Yosaku.

"The good stuff," said Johnny.

"Of course," said Igarappoi, "we'll have our best chefs cater to your needs."

The Strawhats cheered, but the cheers of the original crew were slightly more muted, as they knew this 'party' marked the beginning of several important events in their upcoming adventure.

xXsceneXx

"So," said Igarappoi, who in reality was the Bounty Hunter codenamed, Mr. 8, "would you like to explain to me why you've returned to the island  _without_  the whale meat we needed and we are now instead hosting a  _feast_  for these pirates you brought with you?"

"These guys are strong," said Miss Wednesday, "they easily stopped us and took us down like nothing. However, we had an idea about how we can turn this to our advantage."

"Do tell," said Mr. 8 as he raised an eyebrow.

Mr. 9 pulled out four Wanted Posters for members of the crew currently partying inside, "These guys have four members with huge prices on their heads. If we can knock all of them out with the food and drink, then we can hand them over to the Marines and use their bounties to fix our food problems."

"If you're sure it will work," said Mr. 8, "then I'll agree. Chef Caviar."

A man wearing a chef's uniform walked out of the party hall and saluted to Mr. 8, "How may I be of service sir?"

"I want you to lace the food and drink that the pirates are consuming with a sedative," said Mr. 8, "keep it in low amounts so they will pass out after eating. Be sure that our men do not receive the tainted food."

"Yes sir," said the chef before he headed to the kitchens to deliver the instructions.

"The moon shines bright tonight," said Mister 8, "a fitting night for a party, don't you say?"

xXsceneXx

Meanwhile, the Strawhats were partying it up with the townsfolk as they enjoyed the hospitality and the good food and drink. Yosaku, Johnny and Sanji were flirting with the girls while Gin, Zoro, and Nami were challenging the room to an all out drinking contest. Nojiko had tried some of the rum and found she was a real lightweight when one mug made her pass out drunk with a smile on her flushed face.

"Fill her up!" said Zoro as he slammed his mug down onto the table.

"I'm out," groaned his opponent as he dropped his mug and slumped to the floor.

"Oh!" exclaimed one man, "That guy just outdrank five guys!"

"That's nothing," said another as he pointed to Nami, "that girl just outdrank 10!"

"Keep it coming!" cheered Nami as her opponent passed out on the ground.

"More food!" called out Luffy as he tore a chunk of meat off a leg of ham he held in his hand. His rubbery body had ballooned out from the amount of food in him, making it look like he swallowed a boulder.

"That guy just ate through his 96th serving!" said a woman, "They really can party."

As the Strawhats enjoyed themselves, they remained oblivious to the plotting that was going on behind their backs. Soon, Chef Caviar came in with what was to be their final course, a mouthwatering selection of sautéed veggies, grilled fish, broiled meat, and several large cakes with thick frosting. The crew eagerly dug into the meal, and they quickly fell unconscious as the sedatives in their food finally took hold.

"Well," said Mr. 8 as he walked in, "have them tied up and moved to the warehouse until we can arrange for the Marines to pick them up."

"Yes sir," said several of the partygoers as they got to their feet and drew their weapons. Their cheery dispositions had been replaced with sinister grins as they revealed their true natures.

"Yes," said Mr. 8 as he walked out of the room, "this is going quite well."

"It'd better be," said a tan-skinned muscular woman wearing a pink and white checkered dress, "we wasted a lot of good food on those guys."

"It will be," said Mr. 9, "with the prices these guys have on them, we'll be able to refurnish the town several times over."

"Miss Wednesday," said Mr. 8, "when the Millions finish restraining the pirates, use our Den Den Mushi to inform the Marines of their capture."

Before the blue haired Bounty Hunter could respond, the wall of the building the Strawhats were in exploded outward in a shower of splinters as three of the men ordered to restrain the pirates went flying through it.

"What's going on here?" demanded Mr. 8.

"S-sir," groaned a Bounty Hunter, "those guys were…faking."

"What?" exclaimed Mr. 8 in shock.

"Heh," chuckled Sanji as he stepped through the hole and lit his cigarette, "you should know better than to try and drug a chef with food. Any cook worth their salt can tell when a meal's been tampered with."

"And any good Swordsman wouldn't allow themselves to be taken down by drugs in their food or drink," said Zoro as he tied his bandanna around his head and placed the hilt of Wado in his mouth, "so, Baroque Works, all of you against two of us…"

"They're outnumbered," smirked Sanji as he blew out a cloud of smoke.

"GET THEM!" yelled Miss Wednesday, causing the agents of Baroque Works that had been masquerading as peaceful townsfolk to charge at the two pirates.

" _Igarappappa!_ " yelled Mr. 8 as he pulled on his necktie, causing gun barrels to emerge from his curls that fired explosive rounds at the pirates, forcing them apart as they jumped away to dodge the blast.

"Tch," said Sanji as he landed softly and promptly kicked a Bounty Hunter away as he tried to attack from behind, "didn't think he'd have something like that."

Several more agents of Baroque Works surrounded him with swords raised to attack, but the chef of the Strawhat pirates didn't flinch in the slightest. Instead, when the enemies leapt at him in an attempt to cut him down, he flipped into a handstand and spun in a circle, striking all of them with powerful kicks that sent them to the ground in pain.

Another Baroque Works agent thought that he could get the upper hand on the Strawhat chef if he aimed a shotgun at the man, but found he was sadly mistaken when Sanji closed the distance between them in seconds and smashed the weapon with a well placed kick before following up with another blow that broke several of the man's ribs.

As for the Strawhat Pirate's First Mate, he was easily cutting down the enemies that tried to outmaneuver him. Several agents thought that, since he used swords, using guns on him would provide an advantage.

They were wrong.

As the men fired at the Santoryu master, he quickly turned and, with a few quick moves, deflected all of their bullets to the side before shooting forward and slicing their guns to pieces. Zoro finished by cutting down the men with a sweep of Sandai Kitetsu, leaving them lying on the ground.

"Heh," he smirked, "looks like you still have quite the edge, Kitetsu."

His smirk grew as he felt a slight hum come from his sword, almost as if the blade was giving an approval of him as its wielder. Zoro then bent forward into a tumble to avoid a barrage of bullets that had been fired at him and swung Yubashiri, sending a blade of pressurized air that shot forward and cut down the Bounty Hunters that had attempted a sneak attack.

"Excellent work, Yubashiri," said Zoro.

"Oi Marimo!" yelled Sanji as he sent several more enemies flying with a powerful kick, "Talk to your swords on your own time!"

Before Zoro could respond however, Sanji heard a battle cry and saw Miss Monday charging at him with a sledgehammer that was made from a metal pole with a boulder attached to the tip.

"GRAAAH!" yelled the muscular woman as she swung the weapon down on the cook.

Sanji didn't even flinch as the stone hammer was brought down, and instead swung his foot to intercept it. The strength of his kick shattered the stone hammer and sent the muscular Miss Monday staggering back from the force of the blow, allowing Sanji to send her flying into a wall with a kick to her stomach.

"I don't like to hurt women," said Sanji, "but for trying to poison my food, I'll make an exception this once."

"Well," said Mr. 8, "these pirates might be more trouble than we initially thought."

**To be continued…**

 


	21. Your Days are Numbered

As Zoro and Sanji faced down the remaining members of the Baroque Works agents stationed in Whiskey Peak, the First Mate and Chef couldn't help but smirk in anticipation for the fight that was to come.

"Well then, Baroque Works," said Sanji as he took a drag from his cigarette.

"You ready for round two?" finished Zoro.

"Obviously these pirates are going to be a handful," said Mr. 9 as he hoisted his Iron Bats, "but I think the four of us can take them. Especially now that their crew and captain are knocked out."

"I owe the blond one for that kick," said Miss Monday as she hefted a large metal pole as a club.

"Let's end this quickly," said Miss Wednesday as she pulled out a chain of bladed jewels.

The two women and one man rushed at the members of the Strawhat pirates, swinging their weapons, but the two members of the Monster Trio weren't fazed and Sanji quickly sent Mr. 9 flying into the wall of a building via a powerful kick, while the crew's First Mate moved to intercept Miss Wednesday and Miss Monday, his swords cutting through their weapons with ease before knocking them to the ground with the backs of his blades.

"You're gonna need to do better than that," said Zoro.

" _Igarappappa!_ " yelled Mister 8 as he fired several explosive shells from the guns hidden in his curls, aiming to take down the pirate swordsman before he could cause any further damage.

Zoro's eyes narrowed and he channeled a small amount of Haki into his swords to protect them damage. As the explosive bullets closed in on him, he swung his three katanas and cleaved through the bullets, causing them to explode harmlessly to the side.

"Nice try, curly-braids," smirked Zoro, "but not good enough."

"What's with these two guys?" grunted Mr. 9 as he pulled himself out of the hole he had made when he crashed into the wall thanks to Sanji's kick. He was sure to bruise from the blow and he was thanking the gods that he didn't have any broken bones, "I mean, Roronoa I get because he has a substantial bounty, but the chef is a nobody!"

"Perhaps they made a mistake with the bounty?" offered Mister 8.

"Wouldn't be the first time," noted Zoro from behind the agent, causing the man to jump in surprise before getting knocked to the ground by the swordsman, "I mean, aside from the picture that is."

"Fuck you, Crap-Marimo!" yelled Sanji.

" _Igarappappa!_ " yelled Mr. 8 as he spun around and tried to blast Zoro at point blank, but the swordsman spun with him and dropped the man with a blow from the butt of his sword.

"Take this!" yelled Mr. 9 as he readied his metal bats, " _Kattobase Shikomi Bat!_ "

The Baroque Works Agent revealed hidden chains connecting the tops of the bats to the handles, turning them into improvised flails that he lashed out toward Sanji, wrapping one around the chef's leg.

"See if you can keep kicking with a broken leg!" said Mister 9 as he prepared to yank the chain.

"We'll see about that," said Sanji as he whipped his leg, using his muscles to pull Mr. 9 off his feet and send him flying toward the Strawhat chef.

Sanji landed another kick into the Baroque Works Agent and sent him flying into a pile of crates by a building, turning just in time to block a swing from Miss Monday's hammer with his foot, "Careful with that."

Zoro rushed up behind the musclewoman and delivered a strong strike with the back of his blade to knock her down, and then dodged to the side to avoid getting slashed by a chain of jewel-blades wielded by Miss Wednesday, before disarming his attacker and knocking her to the ground.

"I suggest you stay down," said Zoro, "aside from the fact that you tried to kill us, we have no real quarrel with you."

Suddenly his Haki signaled him to an attack and Zoro swung his sword outward, slicing through a booger that was flicked toward him, causing the two halves to explode harmlessly to the side.

"You're quick," said a voice as a man with black dreads wearing a brown trench coat and sunglasses walked up with a woman wearing a yellow dress and hat with lemon pictures literally floating after him with a parasol in her hands, "but that's no excuse for you lot to fail to defeat these rookie pirates."

"Mr. 5," grunted Mr. 9, "Miss Valentine."

"Kyahahahaha!" laughed the woman, "And here I thought the Frontier Agents were made of stronger stuff."

"Fortunately for you," said the man, Mr. 5, "we've come here on more urgent business. Apparently, we have a couple of moles in our organization that have apparently found out a bit too much about our boss, Mr. 0."

' _Crap,_ ' thought Mr. 8, ' _they know!_ '

"Now," said Mr. 5, "we've been sent to eliminate them and expose them for who they are, the Princess of Alabasta, Nefeltari Vivi, and the Captain of her guard, Igaram."

To the Agents' shock, Mr. 5 pulled out a revolver and aimed it at Mr. 8's head, "Good riddance.

Before he could pull the trigger though, a powerful kick slammed into his side, sending him flying into a building, causing a moderately sized explosion upon impact.

"It's bad form to shoot a man when he's down," said Sanji as he lowered his foot.

"You'll pay for that," said Miss Valentine as she floated over him and began to descend rapidly, " _10,000 Kilo Press!_ "

Sanji simply stepped to the side and lit his cigarette as Miss Valentine slammed into the ground with an undignified 'Gah,' leaving a large hole in the pavement, taking a drag as the two agents pulled themselves back to their feet.

"Looks like we'll be dealing with you Pirates before dealing with the princess," said Mr. 5 as he readied his revolver, " _Breeze Breath Bomb!_ "

Zoro stepped in front of Sanji and channeled Busoshoku Haki into his three blades, changing their color to dark black, and sliced through the exploding air-bullets, utilizing Kenbunshoku Haki to predict where each invisible bullet was when he swung. The bullets exploded violently, but Zoro was unharmed thanks to him redirecting the brunt of the blast with swings from his sword.

"Is that the best you got?" asked Zoro.

"Damn you," growled Miss Valentine as she shot out of the hole she made in the ground and moved to float over Zoro's head, "let me show you my secret move! I haven't shown anyone this yet!  _10,000 Kilo Iron Guillotine!_ "

Miss Valentine channeled Busoshoku Haki around her leg and increased her body weight, causing her to drop downwards toward Zoro, aiming to crush his neck. The First Mate responded by channeling just enough Haki to his sword to counter hers, yet not enough to overpower her own, and raised his blade, blocking her attack and causing a crater to form under his feet from the force behind it. It wasn't without effort though, and Zoro could feel his bones creaking as his muscles were strained. He still wasn't at the same level he was at when he decimated the Humandrills, but he was slowly getting there.

"Impossible!" said Miss Valentine before she was thrown to the ground, HARD.

Face it, you don't want to be slammed into the ground when you weigh 10,000 Kilos.

"You'll regret that," said Mr. 5 as he rushed forward and aimed a kick at Zoro, augmented by the explosive power of his Devil Fruit.

Before his kick could make contact, a Haki imbued leg slammed into his own, causing the two to be engulfed in a violent explosion. When the smoke cleared, Sanji was standing over Mr. 5 with some singes to his clothes and skin, while the Baroque Works Agent lay on the ground with his leg bent at an unnatural angle.

"I'm afraid you won't be touching the princess today," said the chef.

"Wh-why?" asked Igaram, for that was the true identity of the man calling himself Mr. 8, "Why help us now after all we've done?"

"Because," said Zoro, "you lot aren't our real enemy here."

Igaram was about to speak, but he saw Miss Wednesday begin to stir and rushed over to help her up, "Princess Vivi!"

"What's going on?" asked the now revealed Princess.

"Our cover has been compromised," said Igaram, "we owe these pirates our lives."

"But why help us?" asked Vivi, "what's in it for you?"

"Nothing in particular," said Nami's voice from behind them, causing the two members of the Strawhat crew to jump, "though, a few thousand Berries as compensation wouldn't hurt."

"Hmph," said Zoro, "and here I thought you were knocked out with the others."

"Ha!" laughed Nami, "With the kind of work I've been in before meeting you guys, you think I'd let a simple drugged glass of rum stop me from getting what I want?"

"So you're just in it for the money?" spat Vivi, "Sorry, but we can't just pay for our problems to go away."

"It's not about the money," said Zoro, getting a death glare from Nami, "we know what that bastard Crocodile is doing with your country and we want to help."

"You know about Crocodile?" exclaimed Igaram, "How?"

"It's a really long and complicated story," said Sanji, "before we continue, I suggest we gather the rest of our sleeping crew and cast off before anyone else tries to attack. We can take you two along as well, as we're probably headed to Alabasta anyways."

"You would do that for us?" asked Vivi.

"Of course," said Nami, "now let's get moving."

xXsceneXx

It took a bit of doing, but eventually, the entire crew was dragged aboard the Going Merry and the ship was being prepared for departure. Zoro and Sanji had also taken the liberty of raiding the Whiskey Peak supply sheds, Sanji for more ingredients for cooking, and Zoro for some Sake, and now the two of them were rousing the rest of the crew from their slumber.

"Ugh," groaned Luffy, "my head feels like the time Gramps punched me into a wall."

"I'm very sorry about that," said Vivi.

"Oh, hi Vivi," said Luffy blearily, "you coming with us then?"

"Does everyone on this crew know about the Princess?" asked Igaram.

"It's complicated," said the various members of the crew that had been awakened from the drug-induced slumber.

"Just know that we truly want to help," said Zoro as he heaved the anchor back aboard.

As Vivi nodded dimly, still somewhat in shock that these pirates that they tried to kill were now helping them, a thick fog began to roll into the port. Suddenly, a cheerful laugh broke through their work, causing them to stop as Igaram and Vivi began to shake with fear.

"Ufufufu," laughed the voice, "I must admit, I did not expect to see you all here again."

As the fog cleared somewhat, a tanned woman wearing a skimpy purple cowgirl outfit could be seen sitting on the upper deck by Nami's Tangerine Grove.

"Miss All Sunday!" exclaimed Vivi in horror.

"It's good to see you in such good health, Captain-san," the woman said to Luffy.

"Robin!" exclaimed Luffy happily.

"You know her?" exclaimed Igaram in shock.

"Yup," said Luffy, "that's Nico Robin, the ship's Archeologist."

There was a moment of silence before the new members on the ship shouted out as one.

"EHHHHHHHH?!"

 


	22. Truths New and Old

Immediately, Vivi and Igaram jumped back from Robin and aimed their weapons at her, ready for an attack, while the new members of the crew looked wary as well.

"Ara Ara," chuckled Nico Robin as she looked over the crew, "I must admit that I did not expect to see all of you here."

"It's good to see you again Robin-chan!" cheered Sanji.

"It is good to be back," said Robin, "but I must admit, this is not what I was expecting."

"Why is that?" asked Nojiko hesitantly.

"Hmm," hummed Nico Robin, "shouldn't we be getting under way? We wouldn't want the Unluckies to catch up to us."

"Right," said Nami, "Zoro, weigh anchor!"

"On it," said Zoro as he hefted the heavy anchor aboard the ship with his bare hands.

"Hold on!" said Vivi, "How can all of you be so trusting of her? That's Miss All Sunday, Mr. 0's right hand! Do you know some of the things she's done?"

"Yeah," said Luffy simply, "we know all about it, and we don't care. She's our Nakama and we trust her."

"If it's of any help," said Nico Robin, "I never was truly allied with Crocodile in his plan to take down your country. My true goal was to find out if the Poneglyph under the protection of the Alabasta Royal Family was the Rio Poneglyph, which contained the true history of the Void Century. Luffy-san and the others helped me after I found out it wasn't and now I'm allied with them as I search for the other Poneglyphs."

"So you know what is written on the Poneglyph beneath Alabasta?" asked Igaram.

"Yes," said Nico Robin, "and I have no need or interest in Pluton. I am an archeologist, not a conqueror."

"Then we will place our faith in your word," said Igaram.

"Igaram!" protested Vivi.

"Princess," said the captain of the guard, "these pirates are offering to help us end Crocodile's hold over our country and have saved our lives here in this town. Until they give us a reason to think otherwise, I will trust them."

"Very well," said Vivi.

"Right then," said Nami as she glanced at the Log Pose and checked a sea chart, "let's cast off. I'd like to be in open water before anyone unsavory shows up."

With that the crew unfurled the sail and the Going Merry sailed out of Whiskey Peak, heading toward open water. None of them noticed an otter sitting on the back of a vulture as it wrote out a message before the pair took flight, leaving the town behind.

xXsceneXx

"So Nami-aneki," said Johnny as the crew sailed over the ocean, "where are we headed next?"

"We're headed to Little Garden, right?" asked Luffy.

"OH HELL NO!" exclaimed Nami, "There is no way I'm getting stung by that prehistoric insect and nearly dying AGAIN!"

"But Nami," said Usopp, "what about Dorry and Broggy?"

"No way," said Nami, "last time we barely made it to Drum Island in time for that crazy old lady to treat me! One slip up and any of us that get bitten by that bug WILL die!"

"Actually Usopp," said Sanji as he came out of the ship's rudder room, "since we've dealt with the Baroque Works Agents at Whiskey Peak, it isn't likely that they'll be in any condition to hurt the two Giants."

"Ok seriously," said Vivi as she watched them go back and forth, "what is going on here? You all are acting like you've all done this before!"

"It's com…," began Zoro before Nojiko cut him off.

"No," she said, "we've been patient, but this is getting ridiculous. If you want us, all of us, to trust you, then you'd better spill."

"Nojiko…" said Nami.

"Actually," said Gin as he leaned on one of his tonfa, "I'd like to know as well."

"Yeah," said Yosaku, "we've been patient, but you need to trust us as well. We're Nakama, right?"

"They're right," said Luffy seriously as he jumped down from his special seat, "they're our Nakama. They deserve to know."

Nami took a breath and sighed before nodding. Placing the sea chart she was reading in her pocket, she turned to face the new members of the crew.

"Alright," she said, "the truth is, we're not the people you think we are."

"What do you mean?" asked Vivi warily.

"What we mean," said Sanji as he took a drag from his cigarette, "is we're from the future."

xXsceneXx

Back at Whiskey Peak, a certain Marine ship had docked at the port and its crew was dealing with the remains of the Baroque Works forces on the island.

"Now," said Alexander Drake as he held a Baroque Works agent off the ground by the neck, using the strength in his cybernetic arms, "you sent out a call saying you had captured the Strawhat Pirates. Where are they?"

"I-I don't know," said the man, "that blond chef and Roronoa wiped us out."

"Roronoa Zoro," muttered Tashigi as she gripped her katana.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion and several Marine officers were sent flying back, with Mr. 5 limping forward, using a rifle as a crutch.

"I see some of you still have some fight in you," said Alexander simply as he walked up to the injured Officer Agent.

"I don't know what you all are trying to pull here," said Mr. 5, "but I'm not going with you without a fight."

The Vice-Admiral walked up to the Baroque Works Agent and smirked, "Doubtful."

The Marine officer then sunk his metal fist into the man's gut, causing his eyes to widen as he coughed up blood, "…how?"

"Hmm," said Alex, "from your reaction, it seems you have a Devil Fruit power. Unfortunately for you, my arms are coated in Kairoseki. It's a good counter for Devil Fruit users. Smoker, I assume we are ready to depart?"

The Captain walked forward, holding a struggling Miss Valentine in a cloud of thick smoke with his power and nodded, "Apparently, the pirates left with the princess of Alabasta and the Captain of her Guard. It's likely that they're headed toward the Kingdom and we'll find them there."

"Very good," said the Vice-Admiral, "let's set sail. Take the girl with us. We may be able to get more info out of her."

"Yes sir," said Smoker.

xXsceneXx

In a room with windows that overlooked an oasis, a man wearing a dark brown suit with a fur-lined jacket tapped his chin with a golden hook that sat in place of his left hand.

"So, Nico Robin has chosen to betray me?" said the man, "A pity. I had hoped that she would be able to decipher the Poneglyph and reveal the location of Pluton to me."

The man got to his feet and walked to the window and looked over the oasis, "I'll have to alter my plans then."

A swirl of sand surrounded the man and whisked him off and out of the room, leaving it empty as an Otter riding a Vulture that had been sitting in the corner flew off.

 


	23. Aftermath and What's Next

As the Going Merry sailed across the turbulent waters of the Grand Line, the new members of the Strawhat were staring in shock at the veteran crew after hearing the bombshell of a revelation that they had dropped on them.

"You're…from the future?" said Vivi in disbelief.

"You can't be serious," said Gin as he gave them a flat look.

"We are," said Zoro, "we crossed the Grand Line and traveled through the New World until we found Raftel."

"That's impossible," said Nojiko, "I grew up with you Nami, and not once did you show any inclination that you were any different until you came back with your new crew. If you're from the future, then what's happened to my sister?"

"She's me," said Nami with a smile, "it's not easy to explain, but from what we've been able to gather, our minds and souls were transported from the end of our voyage back our younger bodies from the beginning of our journey."

"That's a little hard to swallow," said Nojiko, "is that why you seem to know all about where you need to go next and why you all know each other despite being on separate islands?"

"Yeah," Luffy, "we've all been through this before, so we just needed to meet up again."

"So you've all done this before?" asked Vivi as he hair hung down and cast her eyes in shadow, "We all met and went on this same adventure back in your timeline?"

"Well yeah," said Luffy, "we became good friends."

"Then why did you all wait this long?!" Vivi yelled angrily with tears in her eyes before she turned to Nico Robin, "If you knew this was going to happen, why didn't you stop Crocodile from hurting my people?"

"It's not that simple," said Robin sadly, "believe me, if I could have stopped Crocodile before he gained a foothold in your Kingdom, then I would have."

"What stopped you?" Vivi practically yelled at the former Baroque Works Agent.

"It wasn't something she could control," said Zoro, "until just recently, she wasn't the Nico Robin we knew and remembered."

"What do you mean?" asked Nojiko.

"From what we can gather," said Nami, "whatever force that sent us back to our past bodies only sent us back to the moment where we met Luffy for the first time. Our minds awoke in our bodies as soon as we saw him for the first time in this timeline."

"So you see," said Zoro, "we couldn't have done anything more to help. By the time we remembered everything about this point in our voyage, we were too far along to do anything to prevent it."

"But don't worry," said Luffy as he showed a rare moment of seriousness, "now that we know what's coming, we're going to do everything we can to keep our friends safe. That includes kicking the ass of the bastard that is messing with your home, Vivi."

"Just tell me this," said Vivi, "in the time you came from, was I a part of your crew? Were we friends? Is that why you're helping me now?"

"You were one of our Nakama," said Luffy, "we wanted you to join our crew to sail across the ocean, but your place was with your people in your home."

"But that's not why we're helping," said Usopp, "we're doing it because it's the right thing to do."

"So," said Gin, "considering all this talk about being from the future and such, where are we headed next? I assume you know, considering you've done this before."

"Well," said Nami, "it's about time we did something about our current medical staff."

"What medical staff?" asked Nojiko.

"Exactly," said Nami exasperatedly, "I may know a few remedies to various ailments, but what we really need on this ship is a professional Doctor! I mean, Yosaku is fine and healthy now, but limes are only a temporary solution to Scurvy and we have nobody trained to treat the more serious injuries or diseases."

"That is a good point Aneki," said Johnny.

"Considering the trouble we've been getting into, having someone around to patch us up is a good idea," said Gin with a nod, "I'm assuming that you have someone in mind from your previous life?"

"Of course," said Luffy happily, "we're headed to the Sakura Kingdom!"

"I don't believe I've heard of a kingdom by that name," said Vivi, "I would assume that it would have a representative at the Reverie."

"Well," said Nami, "it isn't known by that name right now. Right now, it's known as Drum Kingdom."

"Wait," said Igaram, "Drum Kingdom? You can't mean the Kingdom ruled by that tyrant Wapol?"

"That's the one," said Zoro with a grimace, "which brings us to our other reason for going there: dethroning him and freeing the people from his rule."

"Do we really need to go all this way for that?" asked Vivi, "Crocodile won't just sit idly by and wait for us to arrive."

"Trust us, Vivi-chan," said Sanji, "we're going to need our Doctor's help in the voyages to come. Plus, it isn't quite time for Crocodile's endgame."

"And," added Robin, "Crocodile will need me to decipher the Poneglyph hidden under the Castle."

"He knows about that?" gasped Vivi, "Then he must be after Pluton."

"Indeed," said Robin, "last time, we formed an alliance which promptly ended when I told him the Poneglyph held, not the location of Pluton, but the collective history of Alabasta."

"You lied to him?" said Vivi, getting a nod from Robin, "Why?"

"As I said before," said Robin, "I had no interest in his goals of power and domination. My only reasons for allying myself with him was to find the Rio Poneglyph and for protection from the World Government. I never wanted the terrible things he had done to your home to happen."

"I'll accept that answer," said Vivi, "but I still don't trust you."

"That's fair," said Robin.

"Well now that that's settled," said Nami, "we're going to need to get some warm clothes as soon as possible. The Drum Kingdom is on a Winter Island, so things are going to get cold fast."

xXsceneXx

Meanwhile, on a humid jungle island, a bespectacled man with a hairdo that resembled the number 3 sat in a wax house sipping from a cup of tea as he waited for his accomplices to arrive.

"Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine are late, Mr. 3," said a young girl wearing a blue shirt and a pink hat, eating senbe crackers on the side.

"Yes, it does seem so," said the man as he put down his cup of tea, "I wonder what has become of them?"

"Dunno," said the girl.

"Hmmm," said Mr. 3 as he checked a wax clock, "they are running unusually late."

"Maybe they ran into some trouble at Whiskey Peak?" the girl offered as she bit into another cracker.

"It doesn't matter, Miss Goldenweek," their assistance here isn't truly needed.

Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi sitting on the table next to them began to ring, prompting Mr. 3 to pick up the receiver.

"Hello?" asked Mr. 3.

"Mr. 3," said a voice from the Den Den Mushi.

"Mr. 0!" said the Baroque Works Officer Agent in surprise.

"Mr. 3," said the mysterious leader of Baroque Works, "you and Miss Goldenweek are to report to the Spiders Café in the Alabasta Desert and await further instructions. The other Officer Agents will be meeting there as well. Do not be late, or you will be punished. Severely."

With that, the line went dead, causing the pair of Agents to glance at each other before hurrying to pack up their little campsite and heading to where they had parked their dingy.

"I wonder why Mr. 0 wants us in Alabasta now?" asked Miss Goldenweek once the two of them were underway.

"It's not our place to question the boss's orders," said Mr. 3, "I'm sure we'll find out once we arrive at the Spiders Café."

 


	24. Beat the Drums

The crew of the Going Merry huddled together in the kitchen as Sanji prepared a steaming dinner that would warm their cold bones. Their journey towards Drum Kingdom had led them into freezing weather, forcing them to bundle up in warm clothing as the ship sailed across the sea.

"S-s-so how m-much longer till we get to Drum Island, Aneki?" Johnny asked Nami as his teeth chattered despite his winter coat.

"We should be getting there soon," said Nami as she glanced at a map, "everyone make sure to bundle up. Things are going to get colder."

"I curious," said Gin as he walked up wearing a thick parka, "why is your doctor out this far on a winter island?"

"Oh he's working for the local Witch as a Doctor's assistant," said Luffy, "he's a really cool reindeer monster, but he looks kind of like a tanuki."

"Is anyone on this crew normal?" sighed Vivi as she sipped from a cup of steaming cocoa that Sanji had prepared for her.

"I take offense to that," said Zoro, "I'm normal."

The fact that the swordsman was practicing his forms, shirtless, in freezing cold weather, detracted from the credibility of his statement.

"Land ho!" yelled Usopp from the crow's nest, having been given the unpleasant job of manning it in the freezing weather due to his eagle eyes and sniper goggles, "Drum Island dead ahead!"

"Excellent," said Nami, "Zoro, get to the steering poll and adjust our…no wait, Gin, adjust our heading 25 degrees north by northwest."

"Oi!" protested Zoro, "Are you saying I can't steer a ship?"

"I'm saying you can't walk in a straight line without getting lost!" Nami shot back, "How many times have you gotten lost during our adventures again, hm?"

Zoro growled and chose to return to his training instead of answering.

"One thing though," said Nami seriously, "when we get to the island, I need all of you to follow out lead and remain calm. The people there are wary of pirates, so we need to handle our introduction carefully."

"Why is a pirate doctor on an island of pirate haters again?" asked Nojiko.

"Well he wasn't a pirate before he joined us," said Luffy from his spot on the figurehead, "he just wanted to be a doctor, but we helped him out."

"Oi Nami," said Zoro as he looked out over the sea, "I think we might need to be a little violent. Take a look at this."

Docked at the port of the island, was a large round ship with a white hippopotamus figurehead. The sight of the ship sent a feeling of dread through the veteran Strawhat Pirates.

Wapol was early.

xXsceneXx

The town of Bighorn on Drum Island was in bad shape. Several houses were on fire and others were missing large chunks as if somebody had torn huge pieces out with their teeth.

"Now then," said a man with a large black afro, "does anyone else have anything to say against King Wapol's rule?"

"Our lord will reclaim his cache of weapons in the castle and this kingdom will flourish again," said a man wearing a blue-fur outfit, wielding a bow and arrow.

"Not while I draw breath," growled a man wearing green armor and holding a spade pole-arm in his hand. He was covered in wounds that he had received trying to fight against the two leaders of Wapol's forces.

"Hm?" said the man in blue, "I'm surprised you are fighting so hard Dalton. As a member of his majesty's royal guard, I would expect you to welcome him back, as he plans to restore the kingdom to it's great strength."

"Under that man's rule, this was not a kingdom," said Dalton as he stood to his feet, "it was nothing but tyranny."

"Bold words," scoffed the afro man.

"But meaningless to a dead man," said the man in blue as he notched an arrow.

Dalton readied his weapon as the arrow was released and flew toward his heart, if he was to die, then he would die defending the true kingdom, but just as the arrow was closing in, it was knocked off course by a lead pellet, embedding itself into a concrete wall.

"Who dares?" growled the afro man.

"Chess-sama! Kuromarimo-sama!" called out one of the soldiers that had come with the two men, "A ship just pulled into the port."

"What?" yelled the two men as they turned to see that a ship with a ram's head figurehead was now docked in the port, a black pirate's flag waving from its mast.

"Well now," chuckled Usopp as he lowered his slingshot and adjusted his sniper goggles, "that was a good shot if I do say so myself."

"What business do pirates have here?" yelled Kuromarimo (the man with the afro.)

"Well," said Zoro as he tied his sash on, "we couldn't help but notice what was going on here as we were passing through."

"You see," said Sanji, "our captain hates to see people being trampled underfoot just because someone believes they have the right. Not to mention the things we've heard about your so called  _King Wapol_."

"So we're gonna kick your asses and free this kingdom," said Luffy with a smile as he cracked his knuckles.

"Hmph," scoffed Chess (the man in blue) as he pulled out several arrows, "I doubt a few kids will prove much of a problem. Goodbye."

The archer cocked the three arrows and fired them at the Strawhats, confident that they would deal with them, but Usopp quickly aimed three exploding stars and fired them from his slingshot, easily destroying the three arrows.

"You'll have to do better to deal with a top sniper," said Usopp.

"Damn you!" yelled Kuromarimo as he made to punch the Strawhat Sniper, but a powerful kick to the face from Sanji sent him flying back.

"Your fight's with me," said Sanji, "I'd like to see how your fists measure up to my feet."

"Luffy," said Nami, "Wapol's probably headed to the castle. We'll take care of the guys here. Don't let that hippo king get to the armory."

"Right," said Luffy as he ran for the Drum Rockies.

"Grrr," growled Kuromarimo, "soldiers, deal with these pirates!"

Several armed men readied their weapons to attack the crew, causing the Strawhats to smirk as they brandished their own weapons.

"It's been a while since I had a good fight," said Gin.

"Save some for us too," said Johnny and Yosaku.

"Vivi and I will deal with the wounded," said Nojiko, "kick their butts sis."

"Ufufufu," chuckled Robin as she got into the stance she used when controlling her powers, "it's as amusing as ever with you lot."

"Don't worry," said Zoro as he placed Wado in his mouth, "this won't take a minute."

And so, the battle began.

 


	25. Drums of Victory

As Luffy rushed to the Drum Rockies, he reached out with his Observation Haki and felt the presence of Wapol quickly making his way up the mountain, likely heading towards his former castle where Dr. Kureha now resided.  Knowing that he had to hurry, as without his former memories, Chopper would be badly hurt going against the former king, Luffy ran for the base of the mountains and stretched his arm out to allow him to slingshot up the side.  It was a lot easier now that he didn’t have to worry about carrying Nami.

“I’m coming Chopper,” said Luffy as he began his climb.

xXsceneXx

“Stay still!” yelled Kuromarimo as he tried to land a punch on Sanji, with the chef easily dodging all of his attempts.

“Is that all you got?” said Sanji as he leaned to the side to avoid a punch that, thanks to Observation Haki, was telegraphed plain as day, “I could do this all day.”

“Damn you,” growled the former magistrate, “ _Bikkuri Marimo!_ ”

Spikes emerged from the black afro-gloves that the man wore on his fists and he tried to use them to skewer Sanji, aiming for his kicking legs in the hopes of taking away some of the blond chef’s mobility.  Not the best idea, as Sanji simply used a thin layer of Haki to protect his leg and shatter the spikes at the same time.

Meanwhile, Chess was firing flaming arrows at Zoro, but they were easily deflected or destroyed by slashes from the First Mate of the Strawhat Pirates.

“Your attacks are slow,” said Zoro, “your so-called strength is a joke.”

“You’d think so,” said Chess, “but the two of us weren’t Wapol’s Lieutenants for nothing.”

Suddenly, three small, black objects flew toward Zoro, causing him to automatically block with his swords, but the black puffballs stuck to his blades, dulling the edges somewhat.

“These things?” said Zoro in mild surprise.

“Gotcha!” said Chess as he fired a Flaming arrow at Zoro, “ _Checkmate!_ ”

The burning projectile struck the black fuzzballs stuck to Zoro’s sword, causing them to ignite violently and engulf the swordsman in flames.

xXsceneXx

“ZORO/Zoro-aniki!” exclaimed Nojiko, Johnny and Yosaku in horror as they saw their comrade engulfed in a fiery explosion.

“I wouldn’t worry too much,” said Gin as he caved in a man’s ribcage with a swing of his weapon, “from what I’ve seen of those guys, he’s not going down from something like that.”

“That’s right,” said Usopp as he fired off an exploding shot that took out several troops, “don’t count Zoro out yet.  This is nothing to him.”

Johnny and Yosaku nodded and swung their two swords, cleaving through the spears of attackers that had thought they could sneak up on them, before delivering a powerful combo that left them bleeding on the ground. 

Trusting that they were right, Nojiko spun with her daggers and disarmed two soldiers attacking her before knocking them out with blows to the back of the head as the Strawhats continued to fight.

xXsceneXx

“That takes care of one of them,” said Chess before firing several arrows at Sanji, distracting him long enough for Kuromarimo to latch several of his Electric Marimo spheres to Sanji’s leg.

“This is the end for you,” said Chess, “ _Check…_ ”

“Hey Zoro,” called out Sanji, interrupting the archer, “think it’s about time we stop playing around.”

“What?” said Kuromarimo in surprise before a voice from the flames engulfing Zoro made them turn.

  
“Heh,” chuckled Zoro voice darkly as a silhouette appeared in the flames, “you think this fire is hot?  It’s barely warm.  _Yaki…_ ”

“Wait,” said Chess in shock, “this can’t be!”

“… _Oni Giri!_ ” finished Zoro as he came flying out of the fire, his body and swords ablaze as he cut down the blue clad archer, his blades cauterizing the man’s wounds as they were made due to the fire.

“CHESS!” exclaimed Kuromarimo in horror.

“Oh yeah,” said Sanji casually, causing the boxer to turn toward his opponent, “these things burn.”

The former magistrate of Dum Kingdom watched as Sanji spun in place on the foot that had the puffballs attached to it, causing the foot to glow bright orange from friction before the heat ignited the Electric Marimo puffballs, coating the chef in flames as he stopped, the snow around him melting from the flames.

“ _Diable Jambe,_ ” said Sanji as he jumped in the air at Kuromarimo.

“Wait!” stammered Kuromarimo, “Hold on!  Let’s talk this out!”

“ _Rôti Buster!_ ” finished Sanji as his kick struck the man in the chest, the wake of his attack blasting the flames off his leg and onto Kuromarimo, setting him ablaze while his ribcage was shattered by Sanji’s attack.

As the two members of the Strawhat Pirates’ ‘Monster Trio’ came to a stop and turned away from their fallen opponents to see that the rest of the crew had just finished dispatching Wapol’s soldiers, allowing the townsfolk to regroup and detain the survivors.

“Looks like that’s that,” said Zoro as the tattered remains of his bandanna falling to the ground, due to it being burned by the flames he had endured.

“Yeah,” said Sanji as he stuck his leg into a snowdrift to alleviate some of the pain from the burns on it now.

xXsceneXx

“Finally,” grunted Luffy, “I reached the top.”

While his crew had been dealing with Wapol’s forces in the town, Luffy had been using his abilities to quickly scale the Drum Rockies.  He was eagerly looking forward to reuniting with Chopper and to kicking Wapol’s fat ass off the side of the mountain.  Literally.

As he dusted the snow off his coat and looked around however, his eyes widened in horror before narrowing in rage.  For in front of him was Wapol standing over the beaten body of Dr. Kureha while holding Chopper’s Brain Point form in the air by the throat.

“WAPOL!” yelled Luffy angrily, causing the deposed king to turn toward the Pirate with a disinterested look.

“Eh?” he said, “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m the guy that’s going to kick your ass to the Red Line and back,” said Luffy, “now, put. Chopper.  Down.”

“This thing is yours?” snarked Wapol as he tossed Chopper aside, “What is he, your weird little pet or somethi…”

Wapol’s sentence was interrupted when a rubbery fist slammed into his gut, sending him flying into the castle’s outer walls, leaving a decent sized crater in the stone.  As Luffy snapped back his fist with an enraged look on his face, a certain blue-nosed reindeer blinked in recognition as his memories came flooding back upon seeing the rubber captain.

“…Luffy?” he said softly in surprise.

“Damn you!” yelled Wapol as he pulled himself to his feet, “do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?  I am King Wapol of Drum Kingdom!”

“I don’t give a shit!” growled Luffy, “I just want to kick your ass!”

“Wait!” said a voice, causing Luffy to stop as a familiar figure landed next to Luffy in a crouch, “This time, he’s mine.”

“Chopper?” said Luffy before smiling, for next to him, in his Jump Point form, was the Doctor of the Strawhat Pirates, Tony Tony Chopper, memories and all.

“I’d like an explanation later,” said Chopper, “but first, I’ll get revenge for Doctrine and Dr. Hiluluk.”

Pulling a spherical pill out of a pouch, the reindeer/human hybrid held it out in front of him with a serious look.

“ _Rumble._ ”


	26. The Monster Doctor

“So,” said Wapol as he dusted off his armor, “you think you can defeat me?  You’re just some freak creature with a Zoan fruit, and I know all about those kinds of fruits.  One of my top officers was a Zoan user, and you can only transform into three different forms, and I’ve seen all three.”

“You seem certain of that,” said Chopper before popping the pill in his hand into his mouth, “but we’ll see.”

“Hmph,” said Wapol as he picked his nose, “you don’t scare me.  I’ll show you what I can do with my Baku Baku no Mi!  _Baku Baku Shock!_ ”

Chopper and Luffy watched as Wapol transformed into a walking house with canons for arms, “ _Wapol House!_ ”

“That won’t help you,” said Chopper.

“We’ll see,” said Wapol as he aimed his arm cannon at Chopper, but as the former king fired, the Reindeer doctor used the enhanced muscles in his legs to leap high in the air over the cannonball.

“ _Heavy Point!_ ” yelled Chopper, transforming himself into a large, muscular, humanoid form.

“What?!” said Wapol in shock, “A fourth form?”

“ _Heavy Gong!_ ” yelled Chopper, delivering a punch that sent Wapol sprawling back.

“So, you have some tricks,” said Wapol, “but so do I! _Bero Cannon!_ ”

Opening his mouth, Wapol transformed his tongue into a cannon and pointed it and both his arm cannons at the reindeer, “ _Baku Baku Artillery!_ ”

Wapol fired several cannonballs from the cannons he had created from his body parts, but Chopper was ready for this as well.

“ _Guard Point!_ ” said Chopper, transforming himself into a large ball of fur with to legs and his face sticking out.

The surprisingly dense fur caught the cannonballs and muffled the explosion from their detonation, leaving the little reindeer with only minor burns from enduring the attack.

“That won’t work,” said Chopper darkly as he transformed back to Heavy Point.

“We’ll see about that!” said Wapol as he transformed his arms into crossbows, “ _Baku Baku Shock: Wapol Ballista!_ ”

“ _Rapid Fire!_ ” yelled Wapol, shooting off several arrows from his arms.

“ _Arm Point!_ ” said Chopper, transforming into a form with more reindeer like features and muscular arms.

Moving quickly, Chopper used his new form to punch aside the incoming arrows as he advanced on Wapol, before drawing back his hoof for a powerful punch.

“ _Kokutei Rozeo!_ ” said Chopper, delivering a punch that Wapol just barely managed to dodge, forcing the hoof to strike the castle wall, blowing a hole through the stone and mortar.

Wapol looked at the hole in his castle wall and gave out a small ‘yipe’ before scrambling away into the castle.

“You won’t get away!” yelled Chopper.

xXsceneXx

“What’s with that Zoan user?” growled Wapol as he huffed and puffed his way through the halls in the castle, “how did he have all those different forms?  Did he eat some sort of special Zoan Fruit or a Paramecia one?”

As Wapol ran, he had a specific direction in mind: the castle armory, where he kept all of the stockpiled weapons.  He knew if he could make it there and devour enough weapons, he’d have the strength to take on that weird Zoan user.

Bursting through the door of his armory, he quickly devoured several swords, spears, and rifles, before transforming into a human arsenal with cannons for arms, crossbows on his shoulders, swords on his wrists, and spears coming from his back.

“HA!” he laughed as he ran back outside, “Let’s see you handle this, Zoan user!”

The former king skidded to a stop as he exited his castle, noticing that the humanoid reindeer was no longer in sight, and instead there was a pair of furry trees that were casting a tall shadow over the castle.

…wait, furry trees?

As Wapol slowly looked upwards, the color began to drain from his face and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he looked upon the new form the Zoan user had taken.

“HROOOOOOOO!” roared Chopper as he towered over the terrified tyrant.

xXsceneXx

The roar was so loud, that it echoed down into the villages and towns.  In one town, where the snow was strangely absent, a man wearing a jacket and an orange hat, a dagger sheathed at his hip, looked up at hearing the roar, a smile appearing on his face before he shot off in a blur.

Back with the Straw hats, the civilians were finishing restraining the remainder of Wapol’s troops while the tyrant’s doctor force, who had surprisingly changed sides and had put their skills to use treating the injured townsfolk in honor of a certain quack doctor that gave his life for what was right, when the roar was heard echoing down from the Drum Rockies.

“The hell is that?” said Gin as he looked around.

“It sounds like some sort of Monster,” said Yosaku nervously.

“That Monster,” said Sanji as a Doctor treated his foot for the injuries he received due to using Diable Jambe without the intense training he had received from running from all the Okamas for two years, “is our Doctor, Tony Tony Chopper.”

“EHHHHH?!” exclaimed Johnny and Yosaku in shock.

“Don’t let that sound fool you,” said Nami as she disassembled her staff and placed the pieces on her hip, “he’s actually a softie and cute little guy too.”

“I’ll take your word for it sis,” said Nojiko nervously as she glanced up toward the mountains.

xXsceneXx

“Wh-wh-what is this?!” exclaimed Wapol in shock before yelping as he was picked up by Chopper’s monstrous new form.

“ **Wapol,** ” growled Chopper as he held the quivering man up to his face, “ **get out of this Kingdom!** ”

With a throw that would make a professional MLB pitcher impressed, Chopper sent Wapol flying away from Drum Kingdom before transforming back to Brain Point and flopping over with exhaustion.

“Luffy,” he groaned, “please explain what just happen when I wake up.”

“Good to have you back, buddy,” said Luffy with a chuckle.

xXsceneXx

The Straw hats hung around Drum Kingdom as a party went on, celebrating Wapol’s defeat.  In the midst of this, though they received a surprising visitor.

“Hey Luffy,” said a man wearing an orange hat as he walked up to the partying Straw-hat Pirates, “it’s been a while.”

“Ace…” said Luffy in shock.


	27. Burning Bonds

“Ace…” said Luffy in surprise at seeing his older brother standing there.

“Yo, Luffy,” said the smiling man in question, “it’s been a while.”

“ACE!” cried out Luffy as he threw himself at the older pirate and hugged him for all its worth as tears leaked out of his eyes.

“You haven’t changed a bit Luffy,” said Ace with a smile, “you’re still the same old crybaby.”

“Care to fill us in?” said Nojiko, “Is this another time displaced comrade?”

“Right,” said Zoro, “introduction time.  This is Ace, Luffy’s brother and the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.”

“Well now,” said Ace as Luffy released him and composed himself, “I never realized you’d tell your crew so much about me Luffy.  And what does she mean by ‘time displaced?’”

“It’s kind of a long story,” said Luffy sheepishly.

“Give me the short version,” said Ace as he crossed his arms.

“Well,” said Luffy, “I’m from a future where I found the One Piece but lost everything getting there.”

“…Maybe I need the longer version after all,” sighed Ace.

So Luffy told him.  He explained what his crew had done the last time around, leaving out some of the more intimate details, and how far they had gotten on their quests.  He also explained for the first time to an outsider, what exactly had happened during their last stand at Raftel.

“That’s…wow,” said Ace, as he was at a loss for words, “the Navy came down on you that hard?  They must have seen you as a bigger threat than Dragon or Pops.”

“Yeah,” chuckled Luffy sheepishly.

“So where was I during all of this?” asked Ace, “I know I wouldn’t be sitting idly by while my baby brother was attacked by the Marines.”

“You weren’t,” said Luffy grimly, “Ace, you died…. long before our last stand.”

“What are you saying?” said Ace in surprise, “Is that why you seemed so happy to see me?  How did it happen?”

“To start with,” said Luffy, “I know why you’re headed to Alabasta, and it’s not just to see me.”

“So, you know about Teach,” said Ace seriously.

“Yeah,” nodded Luffy, “Ace, he’s not someone you can take lightly.  His Devil Fruit can nullify the powers of others, forcing you to deal with him without your powers.  Last time you fought, he beat you and delivered you to the Marines in exchange for a Shichibukai title.”

“He’s that good?” asked Ace grimly, getting a nod from his brother, “Damn.  This doesn’t change anything though.  He still needs to be dealt with for betraying his crew and captain, but now that I know about what he can do, I’ll be ready for him.”

“Ace…” began Luffy, but his brother shook his head.

“Don’t worry,” said Ace, “I’m a lot tougher than you think.  Besides, I wasn’t looking for you just to find that bastard.”

“Why then?” asked Zoro as he crossed his arms.

Ace simply smiled and handed a piece of paper to Luffy with some text written on it, “You guys have a Den Den Mushi, right?”

Usopp nodded, “We managed to pick one up in Logue Town.”

“Then you can use this to call Pops,” said Ace, “he’s been wanting to have a word ever since seeing the news about you and your bounties in the paper.  If you could give him a call, I’m sure you won’t regret it.”

“So, you’re still headed to Alabasta then?” asked Zoro, getting a nod from the other pirate, “Well, why not come with us?  We’re headed there as well.”

“Is that so?” said Ace.

“Yup,” said Luffy, now returning to his normal cheery attitude, “we’re on our way to free the kingdom from a criminal organization.”

“Well then why not?” said Ace, “I wouldn’t mind hitching a ride with you guys.”

“Right,” said Luffy, “but first, let’s party!”

xXsceneXx

The next day, the Straw Hat crew made ready to depart from Drum Kingdom.  Doctrine Kureha had been injured by Wapol in the fight, but thanks to the newly reformed Isshi-20, the twenty doctors that formerly worked for Wapol, she was up and about in no time at all.  While the old witch was sad to see her apprentice go, she knew that he had outgrown her and that there was nothing more she could teach him, so she sent him on his way with the best gift she could.

As the Going Merry sailed away from the island, a voice called out to them across the water, “OI CHOPPER!”

“Doctrine?” said Chopper as the crew ran to the railing.

Sure enough, the old doctor was smirking at them across the waves with her hand on her hip.  Raising her right hand into the air, she snapped her fingers, and that’s when it happened.  Several cannons positioned on the Drum Rockies all fired off shots upwards into the clouds, causing the snow clouds above the island to be tinged pink, and as the pink flakes fell over the land, the island now resembled a large Sakura tree in full bloom.

“So, this is Sakura Kingdom,” said Vivi in awe, “it’s beautiful.”

“Doctor Hiluluk’s life work,” murmured Chopper.

“I’d never thought that I’d see something like this on a winter island,” said Ace with an impressed look.

As the crew sailed farther away from the island, they decided that it was now a good time to give Whitebeard a call, and so, Usopp pulled out the Den Den Mushi he had bought and punched in the number.

“ _Eh?_ ” said the voice on the other end once it had connected, “ _Who’s calling-yoi?_ ”

“Marco,” said Ace, “put Pops on the line.  I got my kid brother and his crew here, and didn’t the old man want to talk with them?”

“ _Right right, hold your horses-yoi,_ ” said the voice, and after a bit of clattering, an older, gruffer voice spoke through the snail, “ _Yes who is this?_ ”

“Pops,” said Ace, “It’s Ace.  I’ve got my brother here too.  You said you wanted me to have him call you.”

“Hiya,” said Luffy, “I’m Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will be the King of the Pirates.”

“ _Gurararara!_ ” laughed Whitebeard across the line, “ _you’ve got spunk kid, I’ll give you that, and from what I’ve read in the papers, you can back up those claims as well._ ”

“Yup,” said Luffy, “in fact we’re on our way to free a kingdom from a criminal organization and kick the ass of the Shichibukai running said group.”

“ _Gurararara!_ ” laughed the Yonko again, “ _I like this kid, Ace.  Straw Hat, how would you feel about an alliance between our two crews?_ ”

“Does that mean I’d have to answer to you?” asked Luffy, conveniently ignoring the gasps from his crew behind him.

“ _Of course not,_ ” chuckled Whitebeard, “ _it just means my fleet would be there to aid your crew if you need it.  You’d be expected to do the same for us, of course._ ”

“Sure,” said Luffy, “I mean you’re not really aiming for the One Piece, so I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

“ _Gurarara,_ ” laughed Whitebeard, “ _I look forward to seeing you in the New World, kid._ ”

With that, the line went dead and Luffy turned to see the looks of shock on the rest of the crew’s faces…including those that had come back in time with them.

“Did you just…” began Gin before trailing off in shock.

“…make an alliance with one of the most powerful Pirate fleets in the New World?” said Nami in equal shock.

“Did any of this happen to you guys last time?” asked Nojiko in a weak voice.

“Not one bit,” groaned Usopp, “Luffy didn’t even meet Whitebeard until he went to rescue Ace from the Marines.  Now we’ll have even more dangerous guys after us.”

“Well,” said Zoro, “what’s done is done I guess.  We should be getting on our way.”

“Right!” said Luffy, “Nami, set course for Alabasta!  But first, Sanji!  Food!”

“Right right,” chuckled the blond chef as he snuffed out his cigarette in the snow on the railing, “Ace, since you’re new, got any requests?”

Unfortunately, all he got in response was a loud snore, causing the crew to turn and see that the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, fast asleep while still in a standing position.

“HE’S ASLEEP?!” exclaimed the members of the crew, minus Luffy of course.

“Should’ve known,” groaned Nami.

“Looks like narcolepsy runs in the family,” chuckled Zoro.

“You don’t have much grounds to talk,” muttered Usopp as he remembered all the times Zoro was found sleeping during various situations.

“Wha?  Whazzat?” muttered Ace as he abruptly woke up.

“Shishishi,” laughed Luffy, “it’s great to have you back Ace.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen,” muttered Sanji, “make sure our Captain doesn’t come in to sneak tastes or raid the fridge or I’ll kick his lights out.  Dinner will be ready in a bit.”

 


	28. Conflict Under the Desert Moon

“So, what’s our heading?” asked Ace as he munched on a leg of meat.

“Since Crocodile’s plan involves the Poneglyph in the tunnels beneath the royal palace, our target is the port city of Nanohana,” said Nami as she spread out a map, “from there we can get to Alubarna where we can take down him and his organization.”

“So, you guys are really going to take on a Shichibukai?” said Ace, “I mean, you guys are from the future, but can you really take on a guy that powerful?”

“Sure,” said Luffy cheerily, “we beat him before.”

“Though in all honesty,” said Robin casually, “he did win and nearly kill you the first few times you fought.”

“That’s not very reassuring,” deadpanned Ace.

“Things are different now,” insisted Luffy, “I’ll kick his ass.”

“We’ve all come a long way from who we were back then,” said Zoro.

“And we’re still working to improve,” said Usopp as he walked out of his workshop with a wrapped package, “Nami, I’ve re-created it as best I could, but this time, I replaced all the party tricks with some of the inventions we’ve managed to re-create from Weatheria.”

Nami smiled and unwrapped the package to reveal her Clima-Tact, recreated by Usopp based on the plans he had memorized and improved using what he remembered about the schematics Nami had brought back after her two-year training mission, creating a new and improved weapon for their navigator to use.  Usopp had been expanding his own arsenal as well, moving from cheap tricks and lies to create a more dangerous and lethal set of weapons to use.  Things that would have helped last time around.

The sniper of the Strawhat Pirates, in the absence of their shipwright, had taken it upon himself to be their main tinkerer and inventor, creating new weapons for use by their new members, and upgrading the ones that he and Nami had relied upon last time.

He was so looking forward to getting some Dials from Skypeia.

“So,” said Nami as she pointed to the map, “we’ll moor the ship here and purchase some disguises to get us to the capital.  Usopp and Robin will be in charge of that Sanji.”

“What!  Why?” protested Sanji.

“Because,” sighed Nami, “despite how attractive they are, belly dancer outfits are neither inconspicuous or good for traveling miles in the desert sun.”

The blond chef moved to the side to pout as the group gathered around the map.

“How are we going to convince the people of Crocodile’s treachery?” asked Vivi, “He’s the hero of the people, defending the kingdom from pirates and such.”

“We’re not going to convince them,” said Zoro, “you are.”

“Me?” said Vivi in surprise.

“That is why you two infiltrated Baroque Works, right?” said Luffy.

“But…” began Vivi before Nami walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Vivi, I know this isn’t going to be easy, but there’s nobody better to do this.  The people will listen to what you have to say.”

“What they say is true,” said Igaram, “you will have the support of many of the masses, and the rebels will at least listen to what you have to say.”

“I guess,” sighed Vivi before she nodded, “ok.  I’ll put my faith in your plan.”

“I still don’t see why we can’t just kick his ass like last time,” said Luffy.

“Because last time we got lucky and the Marines got wise to Crocodile’s scheme and decided to help,” said Nami, “plus Smoker and Tashigi aren’t like other Marine officers.”

“At least you didn’t piss her off this time Zoro,” teased Sanji.

“Shut up, ero-cook,” muttered Zoro.

“In any case,” said Nami as she tried to get back on track, “we’ll want to try to be discrete, so we’ll be arriving after sunset.  That should also help us when we make our way through the Sandora Desert, as the temperatures will be easier to deal with at night.  Once we get to Alubarna we’ll have to hurry and expose Crocodile’s scheme so his plans to start a war will be thwarted.”

“So why does a Shichibukai want to start a war?” asked Ace, as he hadn’t been fully filled in.

“It’s complicated,” said Zoro, “but basically he’s going to use the war to gain access to the Poneglyph sealed under the Royal Palace.”

“A Poneglyph?” asked Ace, “Why would Crocodile want something like that?”

Seeing Vivi and Igaram stiffen, Zoro simply shook his head, “I’m afraid we can’t tell you that, but tell you that if Crocodile gets the information on the Poneglyph, he could have the power to conquer the world and crush all opposition.  Including the Yonko.”

“That bad huh?” said Ace, “I guess I can understand the need to stop him.  Wish I could help, but I still gotta track down Teach and deal with him for dishonoring Pops by killing Thatch.  Once we make landfall we’ll have to go our separate ways.”

The crew nodded and headed to their posts on the ship as they made sure the ship was well on its way toward the port town of Nanohana.

xXsceneXx

Meanwhile, in the middle of the desert, in the Spider’s Café, a small building that had a water tower standing next to it, a slender woman with blue hair was reading a book behind the counter as a phonograph played some casual tunes.  Suddenly, the door burst open and two portly figures walked in, one an older woman with frizzy red hair, and a man wearing a green outfit with a large gun strapped to his back.

“Hahaha!  HeyheywalkfasterMr.4!  My hips hurt from all the walking and I want to get this trip over with!” the woman said in a fast and annoyed tone, all her words blending together.

“Sooooooooooorrrr…” said the man in a slow and somewhat meek voice, but he was cut off by his partner

“You’re way too slow Mr.4,” said the woman, “so what do you have to drink Paula?”

“Miss Merry Christmas,” acknowledged the woman behind the counter as she put the book down, “Mr. 4.  The café has been specially reserved for our group tonight.  Orange Pekoe tea and Apple Tea for the two of you as usual?”

“Nothing too hot or cold!” said Miss Merry Christmas, “I want to be able to drink it as soon as I can.”

“Right right,” said Paula as she placed the cups in front of the others.

“Hello~” said a ‘man’ in a swan themed outfit as ‘he’ waltzed through the front door while doing a pirouette, “Oh, everybody looks so wonderful today!  Paula dear, I’ll have one of your fruity mojitos if you please.”

“Mr. 2 Bon Clay,” nodded Paula in greeting as she moved to prepare the Okama’s drink.

“Oh, I see the old hag is here as well,” said Mr. 2 as he noticed Miss Merry Christmas, “I’d have expected you to be stuck in bed tending your hip.”

“Shut up you!” growled Miss Merry Christmas from her seat, “Why don’t you put that mouth of yours to use and get something done for a change!”

“Must you all be so noisy-gane?” said a man with hair that was styled to look like a number 3 as he walked in with a sigh, a child with red hair and a colorful outfit walking beside him, “Can we not act civilized-gane?”

“Hello Paula,” said the girl, “do you have any hot tea?  Earl Gray would be nice.”

“So, you and Miss Goldenweek were invited too, Mr. 3?” asked Mr. 2 as he sipped his drinks, “Looks like all the Officer Agents have been gathered here…well, apart from the Mr. 5 and Mr. 1 duos.”

“Mr. 5 did not make it to our appointment at Little Garden,” said Mr. 3 as he sipped his drink, “and I have yet to meet Mr. 1 or his partner, so I cannot presume to know their whereabouts.”

“You do not need to presume anything,” said a serious voice as a muscular man with a buzz cut walked in wearing a loose vest and pants, “We are all here now.”

“I see you are as punctual as always, Mr. 1,” said Paula with a smirk.

“You should know that better than anyone…Miss Doublefinger,” said the now identified Mr. 1, causing the other Agents to turn to the bartender in surprise.

“You never said you were Miss Doublefinger,” said Miss Merry Christmas.

“Hmm,” said the now identified Miss Doublefinger as she removed the cloth tying her hair back, “you never asked.”

“Regardless,” said Mr. 3, “we all seem to have received the same orders from Mr. 0.”

“Indeed,” said a voice, causing the Agents to turn and see an Otter standing next to a Vulture, carrying two Den Den Mushi, one normal colored, and one pure white, both linked together by cables, “and now we can begin.”

“Mr. 0,” said Mr. 1 in greeting.

“Indeed,” said the transmission from the snail, “our endgame must be accelerated.   Miss All Sunday has defected to the ranks of our enemies.  We must move up Operation Utopia.  Prepare to mobilize and have the Billions intercept the Pirates.  They will likely make port at Nanohana with the princess, so that is where they must be stopped.”

“Sir!” said the Agents and the Den Den Mushi shut down, allowing the two animals to pack them up and fly off.

xXsceneXx

It was just after sundown when the Going Merry pulled into the port town of Nanohana, and when they did, a horrific sight was waiting for them.  The town was in chaos as the civilians were fighting with soldiers from the Alabastan Army, and several crates containing glittering powder were scattered across the ground.

“What’s going on here?” exclaimed Vivi as she leapt over the railing and landed on the pier, “you must stop this!”

“Princess Vivi,” said one of the soldiers, “we need to get you to a more secure location.  The civilians here are revolting against the crown and started attacking!  They’ve been working with pirates to undermine your father and smuggle Dance Powder into the Kingdom.”

“Please,” said Vivi, “we can resolve all of this peacefully without all of this violence!  I just need to speak with the rebels.”

“I’m sorry Your Highness,” said the soldier, “but we have strict orders from your father the King.  We are to escort you to the capital and arrest the pirates that were traveling with you.”

“But these pirates are our allies,” insisted Vivi before Nojiko cut her off.

“Wait,” said the crew’s scout, “how would the king know that his daughter would be traveling with pirates?”

The guard hesitated for a moment, and that was all Usopp needed to shoot an exploding star from his slingshot, knocking the man to the ground as the shell exploded in his face.

“It’s a trap,” said the sniper, “and I’ll wager that these aren’t real soldiers either.  There’s no way the king would know in advance that we were escorting Vivi to her home.”

“Enough of this,” said one of the soldiers, “Billions!  Capture the princess and kill the pirates!”

Several dozen squads of the disguised Baroque Works Agents broke off and charged the pirates.  The crew prepared to reach for their weapons, but a figure leapt off the ship and landed between the two groups, causing a crater to form in the cobblestones thanks to his weapons.

“Get the princess to the capital,” said Gin as he spun his cannonball tonfa, “I’ll keep these idiots off your back.”

“Gin,” said Sanji, “you sure about this?”

Gin smirked, his stance hardened by experience and lacking weakness of hunger that he had when the Strawhats had first met him, “One of me VS all of them?  They’re outnumbered.”

Gin shot forward and began tearing through the ranks of the Billions, showing those watching just how he earned the title of Man-Demon as he smashed his way through their ranks, opening a path for the Strawhats, Vivi, Igaram, and Ace to run through as they headed into the desert, following the path of the Sandora River, but unknown to them, there would be several more challenges they would have to face before reaching their goal.


End file.
